


Terrence's True Gift

by RebelStoryTeller



Category: Biker Mice From Mars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 01:27:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 38,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19735597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelStoryTeller/pseuds/RebelStoryTeller





	Terrence's True Gift

**On a cold wintery day in late December shortly after the first snow storm of the season ripped through, deep in a dark forest inside an old Victorian style home, Terrence Cley lay soundly sleeping in a spacious bed underneath a warm winter quilt that was spread over the bed inside a door less room that he had been thrown into six years ago when his dreams flashed to how he'd wound up in the position he was in.**   
  
**Then he remembered, he'd been working with Sierrra in the med ward storage closet, Menda had gone home earlier that evening until she was needed when a distress call came over the radio from someone needing help in the badlands of Mars.**   
  
**After getting a bad feeling about the legitimacy of the call, Sierra felt the irritating tickle in the very back of her throat flare up again and started coughing uncontrollably causing Terrence to make the decision to give her a new bronchitis medication to stabilize her breathing enough to get her breath back, start her on a round of antibiotics to fight the infection that was starting to develop in her throat and a decongestant cough syrup to clear out the congestion in her chest.**   
  
**Once he had everything he needed to get Sierra healthy again, he decided to walk Sierra back to her place before he had to return to the med ward to tend to the call that needed his attention.**   
  
**Swiftly jotting a note to Menda who would be coming back on shift that he had responded to an emergency call from someone in the forest, catching a ride from his brother in law Cadge who also had heard the call and had a bad feeling about the legitimacy, he gave him the directions to the location of the distress call then told him to carry on and he'd call when his job there was done.**   
  
**Half way up the path, far out of sight from the road way, he was hit in the back with a large tranq dart containing a large amount of tranquilizer that knocked him out cold.**

**When he awoke, he realized that somehow he'd been transported to earth and found himself locked in a room that appeared to be door less wearing unfamiliar clothes and shoes and decided that the buzzing in his head wasn't going to go away unless he went to sleep and tried to sleep it off.**  
  
 **Terrence slowly wakes to a freezing cold blast of air and thinks:** _Did I not shut that door last night? I'm a hundred percent sure I shut that sliding glass door before I went to bed last night!_ **(Shivers thinking)** _Why is the air blowing in so cold?!_ **(Sits up, pushes back the blankets and slips out of bed then swings his body around and stands up heading towards the window and sees white stuff on the carpet and thinks)** _What in the world is this stuff on the carpet? What in the world is going on outside that's making this weird powder accumulate on the carpet?_ **(Moves the curtain aside to see nothing but a wall of white outside and notices the inner glass door was open and thinks)** _Guess I was wrong, I didn't shut and lock this door last night. What in the wide world is going on? Is this what Sierra calls a blizzard? What happened to everything outside? It's a wall of white_ **(notices a break in the blowing snow and thinks in sheer awe)** _This HAS to be a blizzard! There's brief periods of sight but it's so COLD outside and the wind is really howling. Well I best shut this door and go back to be and back to sleep while I still have the opportunity to get back to sleep. (Shuts the sliding glass door and locks it then shuts the curtain and heads back to his bed, sits on the mattress and slips back under the covers, playing his head back on the pillow his last thoughts were) Well here's to hoping that whatever Sierra was battling before I disappeared has cleared up and that medication I started her on worked_. **(Goes back to sleep and slips into peaceful dreams until he's awakened by the voice over the intercom)**  
  
 **Voice over the intercom:** _Rise and shine ya louse! An hour and thirty-five minutes before yer mornin feedin! You'll never guess what's for breakfast today!_  
  
 **Terrence awakens and groans saying:** Ohh, what time is it? **(Checks his alarm clock to see it was only six a.m. and says)** Six a.m. already? It was only two a.m. a few minutes ago. **(Groans and feels queasy saying)** Soggy brown rice mixed with milk and oatmeal with unsanitary water. An hour and thirty-five minutes to shower? I don't need that much time!  
  
 **Voice over the intercom:** Soggy brown rice mixed with milk and oatmeal with unsanitary water! **(Chuckles and says)** Enjoy yer meal, it just might be yer last one on this side of the border between life and death. (Intercom goes dead with one last hiss of static)  
  
 **Terrence groans in pain as his shock collar gives him the morning jolt of electricity then hears the door sliding back into place, gets up out of bed, goes over to the chair to pick up his towel and heads into the washroom for a quick shower to rinse the night's sweat out of his hair and fur then once he was dressed in the clothes that were hanging on the back of the bathroom door and put on the shoes that sat on the shoe rack behind the door he came back out and walked over to the windows, opened the curtains and unlocked the sliding glass door to let some fresh air in then headed over to the ledge where the tray was and picks it up and walks back to his bed, removes the lid and starts to eat thinking:** _Hmm, mmm, I haven't eaten this much food in the six years I've been trapped in this house! Hmm, mm this is delicious! A nice sized breakfast for me to fill up my empty stomach. Someone must've known what I've been yearning for!_ **(Continues eating his breakfast until everything on all the plates was gone and he was finishing off his hot tea, saving his hot chocolate for after he'd digested his big breakfast.)**  
  
 **A few minutes later, feeling drowsy from the effects of his full stomach, Terrence sat the tray on the night stand beside his bed and laid down to take a nap.**  
  
 **What felt like two hours later but was really forty-five minutes after he'd eaten, a tapping at the sliding French doors caught his attention causing Terrence to almost fell off of the bed when he seen Crystal on the other side.**  
  
 **Terrence gets off of the bed in a hurry and darts over to the French doors, unlocked them and slid them back allowing Crystal to step into his warm open arms as he said after giving her the kiss of her life:** Crystal?! What're you doing here? How did you find me? My god are you alright? You're not hurt are you?  
  
 **Crystal nestles further into Terrence's arms, lays her honey blonde head on his heart and sighs contentedly says:** No, I'm not hurt. I'm perfectly fine. I came to give you some clean clothes, toiletries and socks and boots. Cadge told me he dropped you off here six years ago then never seen or heard from you since, but from the calendar in the room next door, I gather time inside has gone backwards because it's dated for TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO. **(Notices a shock collar tightly fastened around his neck with a dog tag with his new name and new rank inscribed on it and strange clothing and shoes then says)** What're they doing to you?! No one should have to wear a shock collar on their neck, especially not you! What've they done with your med ward clothes?! A green sailor collared shirt with a red tie? You look more like the ones you're training not their teacher! **(Starts to feel tired from her long ignored fever and says)** I've gotta go before they see me! I've evaded the security camera's and burglar alarm systems.  
  
 **Terrence:** TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO?! I knew time was behaving strangely inside this house but I NEVER thought they'd take time back THAT far! No wonder I feel so much younger than I did before coming here! I've been wondering why I've been so much lighter and faster on my feet than I was before, even my decision making skills are sharper than they were before I wound up here. Even my thought process is clearer than it was before. **(While holding her small sandy brown furred well manicured hands in his picks up on sick vibes and laying his skilled hand under her bangs on to her forehead and feeling heat from a fever he says)** You're running a fever and I can tell you're not as strong as you'd like to be! What in the hell do you think you're doing up out of bed? Are you aiming to be a patient in the ICU of the med ward hooked up to a respirator to help you breath and IV's in your arm allowing medication into your system through your veins?! I sure the hell don't want to see you in a bed in that condition nor do the little kids who will be starting first grade in the next term. As for my clothes, I have no idea where my other clothes are! I woke up dressed in these clothes, they're easy to move in but I prefer my med ward clothes and boots, but they won't tell me where they hid them, so I'm stuck wearing these running shoes, jeans and sailor shirt. They stripped me of my wallet, security clearance card and credentials while I was out cold, so I have nothing on me. I tried to get away from here three years ago by slipping out this door, I got as far as the tree before they caught up to me, dragged me back inside, then they put this collar on me and this is their way of keeping me in check. I came so close to freedom all that was between me and getting away from here was fifteen feet and I'd have been home sooner! I can't step foot outside of where I'm standing right now or I'll get shocked. I've been here that long? I don't have any means of keeping track of the dates or years as you can see the only thing they've given me was a small amount of books and an alarm clock. It feels as though time is going backwards in here where time outside is progressing at a normal rate. I don't have a calendar and heaven only knows, one day they might opt to take the clock from me. My lab coat! You haven't found my lab coat have you? I woke up without it on. I'm also missing one from the Med ward, the one I've been searching for at the time was taken right off the back of the chair where I leave it when I go on break. My black bag is gone as well! I didn't have it when I woke up and I've searched this entire room for it to no avail! Sierra was sick when I last seen her, infected strep throat, chest infection, bronchial infection and an irritating tickle in her throat. I gave her a decongestant and three weeks of antibiotics hoping to be back to do a more thorough exam and some chest x-rays then proceed from there. I hadn't anticipated being kept here for so long.  
  
 **Crystal:** There's a magic-cal in your satchel to help keep track of time, there's no need to keep it hidden, to non magic users it appears to be a normal photo in a normal picture frame with a family picture in it, to those exposed to crystalline magic it's a calendar. Sandstorm gave her six months worth of antibiotics for her cold and strict instructions to wear a pair of gloves on her hands and a mask over her face to avoid spreading her cold. My brother Marshall's with the band as the new tour medic, the old tour medic's on mat leave just about ready to have her first baby. Marshall won't let Sierra over do her already strained voice. Probably by the time you're set free and return to base, Sierra will have returned from her meet and greet tour. She's just not up to a lengthy one hundred and eighty seven stop tour so Dustin changed it from meet, shake, photo's, autographs and greet to come get your photos autographed just don't expect a handshake or photo as Sierra's too sick to pose and doesn't wish to spread her sick germs to her fans. Sakura had taken it and draped it over Charity's crate because little kids kept trying to reach in and pet her pups through the crate bars, it was just until she could get a blanket and drape it over the crate instead . After Sakura draped a blanket over the crate and hung your lab coat back up in the closet right beside the table where your laptop sits,she moved the crate pups and all to a room that isn't open to little kids and it's a safe place for the pups to grow and for Charity to nurse in private. The pups are still young and Charity and Chance have been running around looking for a safe spot to take their pups to and decided on that empty room where Sakura took the crate, it's in a controlled area and Charity knows no little kids can go back there and bother her pups so they can nurse in peace without little fingers poking at them. I was beginning to become afraid that either Chance or Charity would either snap or bite so I had Sakura unlock the room and Tyson move the pups into that room. It has dimmed lights and is away from foot traffic. Your black bag's gone? I'll see if the boys on the search team have picked it up when I get home. Your weight loss, energy gain,clear and fast thinking aren't because time in this house has gone backwards forty five years, it's because allot of the junk food that was normally available in the first two years is no longer being served, your spare tire is gone, your weight has levelled off, all that spare weight you were carrying around made you heavy, clunky, slow and awkward as well as making your clothing size go up. You're the one preaching to the kids to eat well and not over indulge in things that aren't good for you, yet at the same time how many of Lance's Baking Students Open Houses have you gone to where you ate more than you knew you should've? It could also be that you're getting caught up on lost sleep which your body is craving and thanking you for with more energy, clearer thinking and quicker speeds.  
  
 **Terrence heaves a sigh and says:** I too was afraid of that happening, I kept asking parents to please tell their little ones that Charity's babies were too young to be handled and mommy and daddy were on the verge of biting. It's mostly little kids who don't really know any better and are just learning. How many baking open houses have I been to where I've gorged? Oh geeze I don't know really. Seven or eight of 'em, I guess sometimes I don't keep track of what and how much I was eating and my weight got away from me. Someone's been slipping me cup cakes, cookies, cakes and little goodies. Strangely though they're not as sugary or fattening as they normally taste. I never connected the amount of sleep I've been catching up on with how much weight I've lost, my quicker, clearer thought processes and my faster speed.  
  
 **Crystal heaves a sigh and says:** No I'm not aiming for the ICU Ward, I just couldn't stand to be cooped up all day! I felt fine when I woke up this morning. I've been in bed for three days straight! I'm sick of being in bed! That's because the black shadows have been ensuring you get enough to eat and the 'sweet' treats have been made with a sugar substitute. I'd have brought it with me if I did. No I haven't found your med ward jacket. As for your wallet, security clearance card and credentials **(Reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls them out saying)** Chad gave these to me to keep on the third day of the search for you.  
  
 **Terrence nods and takes the satchel from Crystal's hands, tosses it over on to his bed then closes Crystal's hand over his wallet, security clearance card and credentials saying:** No, I've no use for them here. You keep them until I'm freed, I'm just relieved that someone I trust has found them!  
  
 **Crystal:** What would you have done had it been Sierra who'd found and returned them to me and not Chad?  
  
 **Terrence:** I'd have been over the damned moon if it had been Sierra who found and returned them. Especially since I keep finding things _she_ 's lost. I normally never loose these as they can't be replaced, but some how some way somewhere along the line I dropped the wallet they were kept in and never noticed it until I went to enter a secured area and frantically began searching all my pockets for it. I retraced my steps hoping and praying I'd find the wallet on the floor somewhere, never realizing that Sierra had found and picked up the wallet and went looking for me to return it. Since I couldn't access the secured area I was going to enter on my own, I had Kari open the door from the inside to let me in.  
  
 **Crystal:** So I heard half of the story-but there are so many inconsistencies in it, I couldn't quite connect the dots and make sense of it. All I know of this story is what Kari told me, you'd lost your credentials and security card wallet, had no idea where and when Sierra returned them to you, she showed you a hole you didn't even know exisited?  
  
 **Terrence heaves a sigh and says:** I must've forgotten to sew that hole in my pocket  
  
 **Crystal:** How many more lab coat pockets need to get fixed?  
  
 **Terrence:** Six

 **Crystal: S** o you still have six lab coats with torn pockets waiting to be fixed?  
  
 **Terrence heaves a sigh and says:** Yeah, I haven't had time to fix them.  
  
 **Crystal:** I'll fix them when I get home and have some time to my self. Right now I'd like to know why half of my assignments never get handed in for marking.   
  
**Terrence:** I marked them already and recorded the marks. You were busy with patients so I graded her assignments and recorded the marks.  
  
 **Crystal bangs her fist against her head and says:** Of COURSE I remember now.   
  
**Terrence rubs his forehead and says:** By the way, how's Tyson's health been?  
  
 **Crystal puts Terrence's wallet, security clearance card and credentials back in her jacket pocket and says:** So far no pain in his chest from the growths on his heart. His last ultrasound showed a four centimeter increase in their overall width and height. Sakura's had more problems with the cysts in her ovaries and the ones on her uterus are the ones that are causing her the most trouble, are growing bigger and harder by the day, her specialist wants to fast track her surgery for right after Tyson's heart surgery. The new bronchitis medication you gave Sierra's s working better than the old stuff did. She hasn't had an attack since she's started using the new stuff. The infection? It's not wanting to go, what's the next step? I repeated all the previous labs and it's showing no signs of going away any time soon.  
  
 **Terrence heaves a sigh and rubs the back of his neck then says:** Not what I was hoping to hear. Then we have no choice but to fast track Tyson's heart surgery then be there for Sakura when she gets out of surgery, two kids needing full time attention after surgery. Good! It's an anti-inflammatory bronchodilator medication that works fast. In the very back of the medicine closet there's a powerful antibiotic that I rarely use because the person taking it needs to be monitored every three days to ensure nothing goes wrong. Put her on a multi-vitamin and when you get back before going home, talk to Archer. There could be something we're not seeing with her labs that he's seen before, if he doesn't know her then we're sunk. **(Gently grips Crystal's upper arm with one hand then tips her chin to look at him saying)** Regardless of whether or not you're sick of being in bed, that's where you should be when you're running a fever! Go home and straight to bed! I mean it! You're over exerting yourself by ignoring your fever! Now go on! You ought to know better! Practice what you preach, you tell your Pediatric patients to stay home in bed when they're sick, doctor should follow her own advice! PROMISE ME you'll NEVER to pull this stunt alone again! It's far too dangerous for you!  
  
 **Crystal takes a deep breath and unable to avoid Terrence's eyes she says:** I promise never to pull this stunt alone ever again. Though Pike is outside in the thick bushes hiding and waiting for me, I'm not really here on my own. I know,I know, I should start listening to myself.  
  
 **Terrence hears someone coming down the hall towards his door and says:** Crystal love, you've gotta go! They'll kill you if they find you here! Please, be careful. Don't leave any tracks in the snow or they'll track you down!  
  
 **Crystal hearing the fear building in Terrence's voice and the rapid approaching footsteps coming towards his door says:** I'll go. Tracks in the snow?! Do you see any tracks in the snow?! Someone's shoveled a path to these doors that I used, too bad they didn't remember to throw down some rock salt to keep the slush from refreezing and becoming ice. But at least I have rubber gripping soled winter boots on my feet so I won't fall and get hurt.  
  
 **Terrence:** Please go home and start focusing on your own health! Now go! Before they get you too! I don't want you here, this isn't where you belong! **(Pulls Crystal close to him for one last hug and kiss he tearfully let linger before allowing Crystal to finally leave)**  
  
 **Crystal gets one last tight hug and lingering kiss from her husband then turns and fades into a bright patch of sunlight that made it seem like she was never there.**  
  
 **Shutting and locking the screen door, Terrence turned his attention to the satchel Crystal had brought him and began unpacking it.**

**12:00 p.m.**

  
**The door once again was opened and another tray was set on the serving sideboard with plates that were piled up with all his favorite foods and a note hidden amongst cookies from his unknown food provider.**  
  
 **Terrence gets up off his bed, goes over to the side board, picks up his tray, takes it back over to his bed, sits it on the folding tray, removes the lid, starts eating his lunch and spies a piece of familiar stationary, picks up then reads the note thinking:** _MMM! Someone's finally coming to free me! (Recognizes the hand writing and thinks) It's familiar hand writing and it says to do everything they say to do and when the night's a second away from becoming morning, Pike and some others are coming to rescue me! Oh thank god some one knows where I am besides Crystal_! **(Hears the voice again stating he had twenty five minutes to brush his teeth and rinse his mouth before they came to interrogate him over and over again until he broke down in tears pleading to them to let him go home, gets up after finishing his meal, goes into the bathroom, turns the faucet on, opens the medicine cabinet, pull out his plax, mouth wash, tooth brush, tooth paste, closes the door and sticks his toothbrush under the running water then squeezes tooth paste onto it and began brushing his teeth.)**  
  
 **Before he's guided down the hall and down a few stairs, a guard yanks a blindfold over his eyes to keep him in the dark then Terrence is roughly shoved down the hall, down a few short stairs ,into the dark den where he is shoved in front of a wider back chair then pushed down then firmly and tightly bound to a wider backed chair than the one he'd been sitting in every afternoon for the last six years then his blindfold was removed after he was secured tightly.**

  
**IN THE DARK DEN**

  
**Leon sees Terrence is firmly bound to the new torture chair and says:** Alright then, before we begin **(presses the button unleashing a painful amount of electricity through the collar on Terrence's neck saying)** How stupid do you think I am?! Did you HONESTLY think no one would know about your visitor? Or about you unlocking the sliding glass doors in the room you're in? Did you think that I wouldn't put hidden camera's in the walls to keep an eye on you?!  
  
 **Terrence feels the intense pain of extra volts of electricity as they shocked causing him intense pain and to nearly black out as he begged:** Please stop! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! STOP! IT HURTS TOO MUCH! **(Feels as the electricity increased three more times as the collar began tightening around his wind pipe and begs)** Please stop! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! STOP! I CAN SCARCELY BREATHE! PLEASE STOP! **(Finally feels as the electricity stops flowing and the pressure from the collar eases off allowing air to get in and lurches forward stopped only by the fact his wrists were tied to the back of the chair and says in an exhausted voice)** Thank god, oh that hurt. Please, I'm sorry! It'll never happen again!  
  
 **Leon releases the button saying:** It better not happen again or else you'll get worse than what you just got now! **(Walks over to Terrence, tips his head back forcing him to look up and says)** I've got you where I've wanted you for years, you're MY servant now. Though time outside has gone on as normal for the last six years, inside this house, time is will be going backwards until I get you to a certain point in time when you are most susceptible to being controlled and for once that wretched king's guard of time isn't around to put a stop to what I'm doing. I've travelled too far ahead in time for either of them to stop me! You misbehave once more and you'll never see the light of day again, I'll lock you some place no one will find you! Do you understand me now?  
  
 **Terrence swallows his fear and says in a breathless voice:** Y-Yes I understand! Please don't send me there again! The first time was bad enough! Two years in that room were terrifying! It won't happen again! I swear! I-I'll behave better from now on! You have my word and my honor that I'll behave better from now on!  
  
 **Leon releases Terrence's chin saying:** You'd better start behaving yourself from now on! Take him back to his new room in eight hours! **(Notices something reflecting what little light was in the den on Terrence's third right finger and says)** Nice bling, looks expensive! Could fetch a mighty penny!  
  
 **Terrence jerks his head up and cries:** My engagement and wedding bands? No! You wouldn't think of taking them off would you? Please don't take them off! They're all I have left of my previous life! NEW ROOM?! EIGHT HOURS?  
  
 **Leon:** I don't tamper with sacred items and wedding rings are the tippy top of the no tamper list, they're sacred. I don't need to pawn other people's gold jewelry. Yes a new room in eight hours! It's not ready for you yet! How can I send you back to your old one when you've tried so many times to escape from it? It has sliding glass doors, this one will have a nice big picture window with four medium sized windows you can open for air. Right now the window installers are installing the new plate glass picture window and the four medium sized windows you can open for air, it's gonna take six to eight hours before they're done. Get used to it! **(Turns and leaves the room leaving Terrence tightly tied to the chair for eight hours)**  
  
 **Terrence tries his luck with the ropes around his wrists only to find them tightly tied to the back of the chair and gives up when he seen what appeared to be two black shadows darting around the room but chalked it up to light filtering in from a window hidden behind a thick curtain thinking:** _What did I just see? Do I seriously need get my eyes checked when I get back?!_ **(Watches as what he assumed were shadows from the hidden window freely moved on their own around the room and thought)** _No those shadows aren't from the sun coming in the windows! They're people shadows! From their heights, I'd say no older then fifteen or sixteen. From their sizes a male and a female. BRYCE?! RAZZ?! Does someone other than Crystal and my benevolent benefactor know I'm here? Could freedom at long last be within my reach?_ **(Unintentionally twists his firmly bound wrists and feels the sharp pain reminding him he was tied to a chair and thinks)** _Ouch! Nope, not for a good long while, I'm stuck tight. Maybe I should use this time to reflect on how disorganized the stock rooms are. No one can find anything in there,maybe my graduates can get it organized and set up in a way that I'll know where everything is and know how much of something I have and what I need to order more of._

**Eight hours later In the hidden room behind the fireplace**

**Leon glances up as his minion muttered the new room was ready and secure then says:** Untie him and take him to his new permanent lodgings and this time, go easy on the sedative! Once Raven allows him to go back home, I don't want him addicted to needing a sedative to get to sleep you morons! Take Trojan with you, he'll measure out the amount of sedative someone that size actually needs to knock him out for a few hours! **(Turns back to his meal and watches as his minions leave the room through the fireplace on the left back wall that lead to Radar's Office)  
**  
 **Radar hears the door open and picks up a needle full of multi-vitamins thinks to himself with a silent chuckle:** At least he won't need a multi-vitamin shot for a good long while! He'll be up to date with his vitamin shots after this one! **(Speaks up saying)** I don't trust any of you idiots to get this right so I'll come do it myself! (Stands up and says) Now lets go before it get too late! **(Heads out of his room and into the hidden dinning room followed by the three guards, then pulls the candle stick that opened the wall behind Terrence and says)** You morons stay put until I signal you! If I leave administering this sedative to you, you'll botch it! **(Heads out to the darkened den and sidles up behind Terrence saying)** Don't move and listen carefully, the only thing in this needle is a multi-vitamin shot with a small amount of sedative. That's it. However, it will make you a bit drowsy and cause you to fall asleep for a bit. This is just a multi-vitamin shot, the very same one you gave Sierra and her band before they left on their recent tour   
  
**Terrence:** How many of those shots have I been getting since I've been here?  
  
 **Radar snickers and says:** This is the only one. The rest were simply booster shots to keep you protected from whatever these morons keep bringing back when they go into the village. I've given all four kids boosters since they've been here just to keep them from getting whatever diseases those morons bring home with them when they go from village to village, getting on stage and singing if that's what they want to call it, I've heard better. But that's what happens when you get up on stage smashed a dozen ways from Sunday and start warbling thinking in your drunken mind that you sound awesome and are encouraged by equally drunken gatherers to continue singing. **(H** **ears the guards getting restless behind the wall and says)** Gotta wrap this up. **(slips the needle full of multi-vitamin into Terrence's right arm saying)** Just a slight prick and it'll all be over. **(Pushes down on the plunger injecting the multi-vitamin into Terrence's system then removes the empty needle placing a cotton ball against the puncture wound and secures it with a piece of paper tape and lowers his shirt sleeve)**  
  
 **Terrence feels the prick of a needle piercing his right arm as the Radar emptied the multivitamin shot then started feeling the drowsiness taking over until he caved in and fell asleep.**  
  
 **Radar goes to the revolving fire place and says:** Alright you morons, come get him. He's asleep with an administered controlled small dose of sedative.  
  
 **Once he'd fallen into a deep sleep, a guard untied and carried him back to his new room, laid him on his new bed then knowing it'd be hours before he awakened, one guard with their hair hidden under a black hat paper boy cap, picked up his wrist to ensure he still had a steady pulse, then put reached into their left jacket pocket for a small tube of salve that they opened and squeezed a glob onto his left wrist ensuring to massage it into the crevices left behind from the tightly tied ropes that once encircled his wrists then laid his left wrist back down, picked up his right wrist and massages some salve onto it ensuring it got into all the crevices, capped the tube and placed it back into their left pocket then reached into their right pocket and pulled out a red mp4 player that was entangled in a locket that they left in front of the lamp they turned on to dim then scooted out as the bigger shadow shut and sealed the bedroom door and went on with their lives.**

**Several hours later**

  
**Terrence slowly wakes from his sleep and gets a whiff of something fruity, lifts his left wrist to his nose and smells it thinking:** _Cherry scented salve? Where did that come from and how did it get on both my wrists? Only one of my kids actually liked the smell of cherries and that was Razz! Could she and Bryce be here?!_ **(Notices the indents left from the ropes and thinks)** _Ahh so that's where it came from! Someone took great pains to ensure the rope marks disappear before too long and rubbed fast acting Cherry scented salve on my wrists!_ **(Notices a red mp4 player complete with earphones entangled with a heart shaped locket on his night stand and thinks)** _Wha? Where-where did this come from? There's no note not a single clue as to whom it's from, what's on this thing anyways?_ **(Picks up the mp4 player and looping the earphones over his ears and inserting the buds into his ears he turned on the player and pushed the play button and allowed the first song to play thinking)** _This voice....it's familiar to me somehow...._ **(Listens closer to the voice turning up the volume a bit more until he could clearly hear the voice then thinks in astonishment)** _This is what Sierra does when she's not with me? I've always thought there wasn't anything else she did that took up her time. Yeesh was I ever wrong!_ **(Listens to the lyrics to the song)** _She's always been a thorn in his side, A big waste of his time, Not worth the time and effort put in to teaching her, Why can't she do what is expected of her exactly how it is shown? Why does she always screw things up? She screws up the simplest things, forever making others throw their hands in the air and give up on her. Never living up to expectations, never getting it right, forever and always just a big waste of someone's time. Always the last to know what she did was wrong, never realizing that she often times makes him uncomfortable with her young jokes, always wearing the wrong outfit at the wrong time, not once not twice but thrice she nearly caused him to loose the thing that he loves to do the most, she should have known it wasn't what he'd signed on for, should have known his career was the most important thing in his life other than those he loves, always inserted herself in his family life when she should have known that she was the uninvited unwelcomed guest. Forever interfering with his love life, always in the wrong place at the wrong time, people always say she's invaded his privacy by peeking over barriers in the one place he expects privacy, caused the one he loved to loose their most precious treasure too early......_ **(Hears familiar phrases in the song and thinks)** _Why do these words sound so familiar to me? Oh this must be the soundtrack to that movie she did two years ago....yeech the lyrics don't match the beat and tempo of the music._ **(Notices something reflecting the setting sun's light and picks it up thinking)** _Where did this come from? Who does it belong to?_ **(Turns the locket over and nearly drops it thinking)** _This belongs to Rei-Anne! Is she here in this massive house?! Matter of fact is there a door to this room that leads to a hall?_ **(Turns the MP4 Player off, removes the earphones from his ears, sets it on the table beside his bed, sits up, then gets up off the bed, walks over to where a bedroom door would be and immediately notices a door knob that hadn't been removed, reaches out and turns it counter clock wise and pulled it open stepping for the first time without a blindfold on, into a hallway and began following the scent of Cherries and Raspberries until he came to a flush mounted door that was locked but had the key hanging on a hook beside the door that he took down and inserted into the lock and turned it clock wise until the lock clicked and the door opened allowing him to step in to an empty bedroom with two king sized sleigh beds and two dressers and two familiar black jackets and paper boy caps hanging on the coat rack thinking)** _The scent of Cherries and Raspberries is strong in here! They definitely spend a good chunk of time in here_! **(Hears someone coming down the hall and disappears into a nearby closet to keep out of sight shutting the door behind him leaving it ajar so he could see what went on in the bedroom)**  
  
 **Guard 1-steps into Bryce and Rei-Anne's room saying:** He's gotta be here somewhere! He never leaves that room!  
  
 **Guard 2 snarls at Rei-Anne saying:** How'd he get out?!  
  
 **Rei-Anne cowers further into Bryce's arms saying:** I-I d-don't k-know! W-we j-just g-got b-back f-from d-doing y-yard w-work a-across t-town!  
  
 **Bryce holds Rei-Anne tighter saying in a hoarse voice:** How would we know?! This is the first time we've been back here since we got up this morning! Besides, neither of us knows who you're talking about!  
  
 **Guard 3 steps in and says:** I just came from that sealed hidden room and it reeks of cherries and raspberries! Just like the two of you do after you've had a shower! You were in that room not too long ago weren't you?! **(Grabs Rei-Anne by her upper arm and yanks her away from Bryce saying** ) Since you two seem to not want to abide by the rules here, then you just lost your roommate!  
  
 **Bryce fights to keep Rei-Anne with him only to loose and says in a hoarse voice:** Where are you taking her?! She's never been without me!  
  
 **Guard 3 drags Rei-Anne further into the room and says while shoving her forward:** Well then, she'll just have to learn to get along without you as I'm changing your work schedules! No longer will you two be working at the same house together, you'll go to the same house but cherries will be going further out into the country to a chalet that needs yard work done! Collect your things and make it snappy! You're not staying in this room any more! It's high time you two were separated. There's a whole new space that's NOT in this house or on this property that's waiting just for you Cherries!  
  
 **Bryce in a hoarse voice:** You-you're separating us after all these years?! My sister's never been anywhere without me! What will you do if she gets hurt doing yard work solo with no one there to take care of her wounds? What're you gonna do if she has a grandmal seizure and there's no one there to administer her epilepsy medication and hold her after she finishes her seizure? Do you have any IDEA how scared she gets when she's through with a seizure? **(Winces from the sharp pain in his throat and thinks)** _Easy Bryce, don't let your voice get too loud or it'll hurt even more! Aw man this tickle is really bugging the hell out of me but I can't let Rei know I'm the one that's sick! I have to look out for her at the expense of my own health! Hopefully she hasn't figured out that I've been fighting an infection and a fever or she'll never forgive me. I hope she doesn't hear me coughing my brains out at night when the tickle doesn't subside with a cold glass of water and a lozenge. As it is,I can scarcely breathe without my inhalers to open my airways and clear out the built up gunk._  
  
 **Guard 1 smacks the third guard in the back of the head saying:** You moron! You can't separate them! Think before you speak! Cherries can't do heavy yard work on her own! Remember the last time you separated them and made her do ALL the yard work on her own? She nearly got killed when she started having a grandmal seizure!  
  
 **Terrence hidden deep in the closet clamps his hand over his mouth as he thinks:** _Rei? Chopping wood on her own?! NO! She doesn't have the upper body strength nor does she have the stamina to carry heavy wood or swing an axe! She's more suited for raking leaves! Bryce is more suited for chopping wood! Is she continuously taking her epilepsy medication after all this time? Has Bryce remembered everything I taught him on how to care for his sister during and after her seizures? Bryce's voice sounds...hoarse! Like he's got an infected sore throat and hasn't kept quiet like he should and rested his voice! There could be complications if it is an infection he's fighting! Let's hope someone's giving him antibiotics for that possible infected throat of his! I don't need it to get any worse then what it sounds now. If only I knew where they hid my bag, I could leave Bryce his inhalers so he can get air into his lungs and start breathing easier!  
_  
 **Rei-Anne, quickly grabs everything belonging to her out of the dresser, closet, side table drawer from which she grabbed all her medication out of sticking it into her vanity bag and the bathroom where she grabbed her toiletries and towel from and stuffs it into the duffel bag that the second guard grabbed out of her hand and drags her out the door**  
  
 **Guard 2 grabs Rei-Anne by her upper arm again, drags her out the bedroom door, down the hall to a door that he opens, drags her outside, across the lawn, out the side gate, down the hidden path to the renovated shed where he opens the door, throws Rei-Anne's duffel bag on to the chair then throws her in saying:** Welcome home cherries! This is your new home, this way you can't influence Raspberries and get him to do what you want. **(Steps back outside shutting and locking the door behind him and heads back to the house to deal with Bryce)**  
  
 **Guard 2 enters the house again and heads back to the room where Bryce waited and says:** Grab all _YOUR_ stuff and follow me to _YOUR_ new room!  
  
 **Bryce goes about taking everything he owned in the closet, dresser, night stand drawer and from the bathroom and tosses it into his wheeled suitcase that he zipped shut along with his duffel bag that was also zipped shut then grabs his leather jacket and paper boys cap and stuffs them in his blue duffel bag, grabs the red duffel bag, cooler and carry on suit case saying in a hoarse voice:** I'm ready, there's nothing else left here for me to pack. **(Catches a whiff of a long forgotten familiar scent and thinks)** _Dad? No, just a scent that reminds me of dad. What could they possibly want with dad? A question I've been asking myself for the last six years is what did they want with me and Rei? Are they punishing him for something he's done in the past? I can't keep dawdling any longer._  
  
 **Guard 1 grabs Bryce's suit case and duffle bag then grabs him by the upper arm and drags him out of the room to the basement door that he opens, turns on the light and drags Bryce down the stairs to the door that he opens and turns the light on tossing his duffel bag inside saying:** These are your new lodgings enjoy 'em without Cherries! **(Tosses Bryce inside saying)** I'm sure Cherries likes her new digs away from you for the first time!  
  
 **Bryce in a hoarse voice:** You don't get it do you? Rei-Anne is sick, THAT'S why she's never been away from me! What're you going to do if she has one of her grandmal seizures during the night? Do YOU know how to administer her epilepsy medication? Can YOU tell a doctor why Rei-Anne has a skyrocketing fever that won't come down or why she's having trouble breathing?! Can YOU even list what she's taking, at what strength, how many doses she gets and how many times a day she gets it? Or why she stutters when she speaks? Do YOU know what to do when she has a grandmal seizure?! Do YOU know what medication she's allergic to?  
  
 **Guard 2 nearly falls down saying:** ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!  
  
 **Bryce in a hoarse voice:** NO! Rei's an epileptic! She's never away from me because I'm the only one our dad trained to take care of her. Do you have any idea how scared she is right now? Do you realize that right about now **(Feels the emergency buzzer going off in his pants pocket and pulls it out as he says)** Dammit do you realize what you three stooges have done? She's having a seizure right now and is all alone! You NEVER EVER leave an epileptic alone! She could easily get hurt badly!  
  
 **Guard one comes running at top speed down the basement stairs and says:** There's something wrong with Cherries! She's flopping around like a fish out of water! **(Gets into an argument with the second and third guards over how to deal with a convulsing Rei-Anne giving Bryce an opening to grab his duffel bags, cooler and pull along suit case and dart up the stairs, out the side door, following the steady increasing beeping from his sister's locator beacon until he came upon a renovated shed with bolt cutters on the ground he picked up and used to cut the padlock off the door, then tosses them aside, grabs his suit case and boots open the door to find Rei-Anne in full grandmal seizure)**  
  
 **Bryce kicks the door shut, hurries over to the bed where he sets his duffel bags, cooler and suit case aside then quickly opens his sister's vanity case and pulls out her handkerchief, all of her epilepsy medication and swiftly finds the pill bottle with that day's medication in it along with a bottle of water then drops to his knees and carefully picks up a still convulsing Rei-Anne as he says in a hoarse voice:** Rei! Rei? Rei talk to me.  
  
 **Rei slowly starts to come around as the seizure slowly started to stop then says:** Y-you came  
  
 **Bryce picks up the handkercheif and wipes the foam off his sister's mouth off saying in an even hoarser voice that was on the verge of petering out:** OF COURSE I CAME! I left the three stooges arguing in the basement and came as fast as I could. **(Takes the lid off the medium sized pill bottle from which he shook out all his sister's epilepsy pills and the cap off the bottle of water and says)** Here, take your medication. **(Hands Rei-Anne the cold bottle of water and the fist full of pills saying)** Here's your pills for tonight. I don't care what happens, I'm not leaving you alone again!  
  
 **Rei-Anne holds out her hand and takes her medication from Bryce's hand, pops it into her mouth then takes the bottle of water and takes a long drink to ensure all her pills got washed down then tiredly says:** I-I w-was a-about t-to l-lay o-on t-the b-bed w-when i-it h-hit. U-unfortunately i-it h-hit s-so f-fast I-I d-didn't h-have t-time t-to a-actually g-get o-on t-the b-bed. Why aren't you resting your voice? Keep talking and you'll end up with no voice! I hear you coughing at night! Don't think I don't! Stop worrying about me and worry about yourself for a change!  
  
 **Bryce starts to feel as his sister's medication started kicking in and gently picks her up carrying her over to the bed where he lays her down saying in a hoarse voice:** Shh and rest for the night Rei. Just get some sleep. **(watches as his sister fell into a peaceful sleep, stretched out beside her and fell asleep only to be awakened by the harassing tickle in the back of his already infected and sore throat that caused him to sit up and spend a good hour coughing sharply)**

  
**Several hours later**

  
**Bryce is awakened by a knock followed by the door opening as he groggily sits up and says in a barely audible voice:** Uncle Radar?  
  
 **Radar steps into the renovated shed, closes the door behind him then lifts a finger to his mouth and says:** Shh! How is she? How's her pulse?  
  
 **Bryce lays two fingers across the side of Rei-Anne's throat to feel her pulse and says:** Still racing, it was a grandmal seizure and a bad one. Rei was stuttering when I got here. Is it time? Are they here?  
  
 **Radar nods and says:** Yeah but don't wake Rei up yet. She needs this sleep considering she's had a grandmal seizure not too long ago. Get up and get your stuff rounded up, I'll call Marshall to come and carry Rei out to the bus. Don't forget to put your scarf on and do up your jacket, it's cold out there and you have a severe sore throat. I won't be back until later on but Marshall's on that bus and he'll take care of both of you. Especially you Bryce considering I've told him you're still sick.  
  
 **Bryce slips off the bed, puts his hat on his head covering his ears, picks his scarf up out of his bag and wraps it around his throat, then pulls on a pair of winter gloves followed by his winter jacket that he pulled on and zipped up to his throat and grabs his and Rei-Anne's duffel bags and his own wheeled suit case and cooler then heads out the door saying:** Where'm I goin?  
  
 **Radar:** Follow the path to the bus waiting at the end, **(Hears Dustin coming in and says)** Show him where the bus is while I tend to Rei-Anne.  
  
 **Dustin takes the three duffel bags, the cooler and Bryce's suit case and says:** Just follow me back to the bus and when we get there I'll send Marshall out. **(Heads out the door with Bryce hot on his heels and runs up the freshly shovelled path to the waiting bus where Marshall opened the doors and took the baggage on board then boards saying)** Marshall you're up, Rei needs you right now.  
  
 **Marshall comes out dressed in winter gear and says:** My god you're a splitting image of your mom! What happened?  
  
 **Bryce in a voice barely audible:** Rei had a full on grandmal a few hours ago. She's sleeping right now.  
  
 **Marshall:** Did she take her evening pills? You'd better sit down before you fall down.  
  
 **Bryce sits down on the bench behind him saying in a hoarse voice:** Yeah right after her seizure stopped, she took the whole bottle then fell asleep and has been asleep since.  
  
 **Marshall looks at Dustin and says:** Can you get this bus as close to that shed as you can? That way it's a shorter distance for Rei to walk.  
  
 **Dustin slips into the drivers seat and starts the bus up saying:** Everyone better find a seat. **(Puts the bus into drive and heads closer to the shed stopping right outside the door)**  
  
 **Marshall sits down next to Bryce and says:** How're you feelin? How's your throat? **(reaches into the compartment above his head and pulls down his black bag that he opens and pulls out his equipment saying)** Take off your hat, scarf and jacket, I wanna give you a checking over. Radar says you're sick.  
  
 **Bryce takes his hat, scarf and jacket off and sets them aside**  
  
 **Marshall unzips then shrugs off his winter jacket letting it fall behind him then peels off his winter gloves setting them on the table then scoots over closer to Bryce, picks up the blood pressure cuff and wraps it around his upper arm then inflates it slipping his stethoscope into his ears and the scope under the cuff and listens to Bryce's blood pressure saying:** Your blood pressure's up Bryce. Now I want to get a good long listen to that chest of yours. **(Deflates the blood pressure cuff, removes it from around Bryce's upper arm, puts it back in his bag then says)** Lift your shirt and lean forward for me Bryce, I'm gonna take a listen to your chest and see if it's cleared up. **(Watches as Bryce lifted his shirt and leaned forward then placed the scope on his back and listened carefully while moving it around then leaned him back and listened to his chest heaving a sigh saying as he removed his stethoscope)** You're still terribly congested Bryce. You're still wheezing which leads me to believe you've either developed a chest infection or you've developed bronchitis. **(Reaches into his bag and pulls out digital thermometer and says)** Open up Bryce and hold this. No talking until it beeps! **(removes the cap from the tip, turns on the thermometer then when the light turned green he slipped it under his nephew's tongue and waited until the light turned red and beeped then removed it saying)** One oh six, you definitly have a fever **. (puts the cap back on the end of the thermometer and puts it away then pulls out a pair of sterile gloves that he put on then pulled out his tongue depressor and his endoscope saying)** Open wide Bryce, I'm gonna check your throat and see if it's still infected. **(Watches as Bryce opened wide then lays the tongue depressor down on his tongue firmly pressing down and shines his light down Bryce's throat saying)** Yipes, the infection’s gotten worse, your throat is red and raw. **(removes the tongue depressor and tosses it in the garbage then puts the endoscope away saying)** Close your mouth now Bryce. **(Gently but firmly presses his fingers into the side of Bryce's throat saying)** Try and swallow for me. **(Feels as Bryce struggled to swallow and says with a sigh)** I knew it, it's infected strep throat. Just hope and pray Rei-Anne doesn't catch it as you've been in constant close contact with her! **(Reaches into his bag and pulls out a sealed swab and opens the packaging, removes the tube and unscrews the swab and says)** Open very wide and be patient for me here. I'm gonna take a swab of your throat then I'm gonna take blood. **(Watches as Bryce opened wide and stuck the swab down the back of his throat and swirled it around then quickly pulled it out just as Bryce started to gag and says)** Sorry I know it sucks but we're done. **(Replaces the swab back in the sterile container, filled in the label and put it back in his bag then pulled out two bags of cotton balls one wet and one dry, paper tape, tubes, syringe and needle then wrapped the tourniquet tightly around Bryce's upper left arm, propped it up on the table and found a good vein that he wiped off saying)** You're gonna feel a slight prick here, just be patient and keep that fist going until I tell you to stop. You can relax your hand now Bryce. **(Slips the needle out of Bryce's vein and presses a dry cotton ball against the puncture saying)** Hold that good and tight for me **(Reaches into his bag and pulls out a sheet of stickers with Bryce's information on them and aligns them with the markings on the vial and smooths it down doing the same for the other thirteen then pulls out a urine bottle saying)** Well lets see if the bleeding's stopped shall we? Let go. **(Lifts the cotton ball only to find the wound still bleeding and pulls a length of paper tape off and places it over the cotton ball saying)** We'll just let that be for awhile. **(Hands Bryce the bottle and says)** Straight to the back and on the right you'll find the washroom. See that mark half way below the lid? Fill it up to that mark and bring it back, then I'll show you where you and Rei-Anne will be sleeping.  
  
 **Bryce takes the bottle from his uncle's hand and followed his directions straight to the back and to the left for the washroom where he opened the door, turned on the light, stepped inside and shut the door then came back out a few minutes later with the bottle filled to the markings, headed back to the table where Marshall had been and says:** Where'd Uncle Marshall go?  
  
 **Dustin:** He'll be back, he's gone to help Rei-Anne come out. **(Opens the doors for Marshall and Rei-Anne then holds his hand out for Rei-Anne to grab saying)** Big step Rei-Anne there we go.  
  
 **Marshall steps up behind Rei-Anne saying to the confused girl:** Bryce is right in front of you, he came out while you were sleeping. Bryce did you get that sample done? 'Scuse me sweetheart. **(Scoots around Rei-Anne and quickly takes the bottle from Bryce's hand, puts it in a baggie then sticks it in the cooler saying)** You left so quietly she didn't realize you were gone until she woke up.  
  
 **Rei-Anne finally sees Bryce and says:** Why'd you leave me behind?!  
  
 **Bryce allows Rei-Anne to wrap her arms around him and closes his arms around her saying:** You were sleeping and we didn't want to suddenly wake you. I'd never leave you behind alone, dad would never forgive me if I did!  
  
 **Marshall takes his jacket off and tosses it onto the bench then sticks Rei-Anne's sample into the cooler and puts her blood vials into a bag to separate them from Bryce's then puts them into his medic bag and shuts it saying:** Now both of you follow me and please keep quiet, the band's had a very long exhausting day and are sleeping. Especially Sierra, she's sick and cancelled the rest of her tour. **(Heads towards the sleeping area of the back of the bus with Rei-Anne and Bryce behind him saying)** Here we are, Bryce you're on the bottom and Rei-Anne you're in the top bunk.  
  
 **Rei-Anne nervously eyes the top bunk saying:** It'd be better if Bryce were up top and I were in the bottom bunk in case I have a seizure and fall out.  
  
 **Marshall smacks his hand against his forehead saying:** Oh dammit I completely forgot you can't be up on the top bunk so lets flip it, Bryce you're up top and Rei you're in the bottom bunk or if you prefer, there is a king size bunk that you can both share.  
  
 **Rei-Anne:** N-no we'll be alright in separate beds, it's only after a bad seizure that Bryce lays with me. I often times wind up confused after a seizure. **(Spies her duffel bag on the bottom bunk and says)** I should get changed out of these clothes and into my night clothes.  
  
 **Marshall backs out the door and says:** I'll leave you two to get ready for bed. It's at least a couple days flight back home or if we really book it, we can get back home before your old man does. Did either of you know he was in that house as well?  
  
 **Rei-Anne looks up at Bryce who replied:** Dad was there? We got up at five and were gone until at least eight thirty/nine at night depending on how Rei-Anne felt. If she was still weak and tired after a seizure we wouldn't go anywhere. She'd stay in bed sleeping and I'd sit and read what few books I managed to swipe from their book store at the front of the house. We'd eat whatever food I managed to swipe from their stupid road side farm stand and that food pretty much lasted us until the end of the month when they'd put more food out and I'd swipe it all again. If we were lucky, they'd be dumb enough to leave a cooler plugged in with all kinds of meat, eggs, poultry, dairy and frozen goodies that I'd swipe and take back to our room. They were too stupid to check our stock supplies. Some days they'd even leave out non perishable items and when I'd see them go out to the village to eat, drink, get drunk and act stupid at karaoke, I'd slip out with my suit case, head to the side of the road and fill it up emptying the shelves then head back to our room through the sliding glass doors making it seem as though no one had left. Oh no! That reminds me! Do NOT bring that suit case, cooler and red duffle bag in here! They have food in them! the cooler has meat, eggs, dairy, poultry and pop inside that need to be stored away quickly! For tonight Rei, it's best that you get into your night clothes, get into bed and get back to sleep to restart your recovery process from your seizure. You remember what dad always told you, the more sleep you get the better you'll feel.  
  
 **Marshall:** So THAT'S what's in them! I'll have to start unpacking the cooler, duffel bag and suit case before things go bad. In the mean time you two get ready for bed and get into bed, it's a long flight back to Mars. **(Turns and heads out closing the door behind him and says)** Now lets see what my nephew brought with him.  
  
 **Dustin:** There's food in those things?  
  
 **Marshall:** Yeah food he swiped from the useless side of the road farm stand. Ooh nice corn he grabbed nice and big! Hey Dustin, did the kids eat before they crashed?  
  
 **Dustin without ever taking his eyes or attention off the road says:** Nope, they just boarded went to their bunks and crashed, I'm pretty sure that by now, they're starving and oughtta be waking up wondering what's in the fridge to make for supper and will be thrilled to find out Bryce brought fresh from the farm food with him.

 **Marshall begins to unpack his nephew's food stash and says:** Got the makings of a decent meal for those poor kids. Grilled corn, flank steak, salad fixings and plenty of other things including some great choco-uh oh, there's a big problem. Some of those kids are lactose intolerant and can't have milk and this is a milk chocolate cake! Is there anything else in that cooler that isn't made with milk? **(Digs further into the ice chest then says)** Ah-ha! Lactose free froyo **(picks up a container and says)** Ugh Pineapple-Mango-Cherry-Peach Flavored Cottage cheese. By the way Dustin  
  
 **Dustin:** What?  
  
 **Marshall:** Have you calmed down enough yet to think through what happened back in Onyx Town?  
  
 **Dustin grips the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white and says:** Hell no. I'm still pissed off at her for that stunt! Had I known she was going to jump off the stage like that, I'd have set up a safety barrier!  
  
 **Marshall:** Dustin, that wasn't an unplanned jump, matter of fact it wasn't a jump at all. Sierra tripped over a cord that was in the wrong place at the wrong time and fell off the stage. I was closest to her when she tripped and fell off the stage.  
  
 **Dustin reflects back on the final concert and says:** From where I stood, it looked like she deliberately disobeyed what I had told her NOT to do without safety precautions in place and that's why I got pissed off and yelled at her back stage once the concert was over. I thought she did that just to spite me and reacted in an according manner. Never once did I stop to think that it was an accident until you just mentioned it. There shouldn't have been any cords on stage, all mic's are cordless and battery operated, **(heaves a sigh and says)** now I have to apologize to Sierra for accusing her of deliberately disobeying my direct orders NOT to jump off the stage when she actually tripped.  
  
 **Marshall:** Sierra's hurting already from whatever bug she's battling. She can't stomach the sight or smell of food nor can she keep anything down, food hits her stomach and five minutes later, she's making offerings to the porcelain gods.  
  
 **Dustin:** What the hell is going around?  
  
 **Marshall:** I have absolutely no idea, yet Radar seems to think it's coming from the freed Plutarkian prisoners who aren't being quarantined and isolated fromthe general population.   
  
**Dustin:** Damn! I knew it! My dad just knew it had to trace back to those who just returned to base after being imprisoned for so long! Those oversized pea brained morons are flying by the seats of their pants! Those prisoners were to be taken to the isolation and quarantine holding facilities on Sunrise Base, not brought directly to Arsis Base or the surrounding bases! You wanna bet the boss has no idea what's going on?   
  
**Marshall heaves a sigh and says** :Oh i don't doubt Carbine is clueless about what's going on, nor will she be too happy that direct Medical Orders are being ignored.   
  
**Dustin:** I have no doubt she's gonna hit the roof when she does find out. **(hears the washroom door close and sees Sierra coming out and says)** More offerings to the porcelain gods?

 **Sierra:** Thankfully no. My bladder decided to kick in. You'd better call North Point Orion and update Micha about what's going on so he can enforce the Executive Medical Orders in a way that will register in their pea sized brains to go directly to Sunrise Base and no where else.   
  
**Marshall pulls out the satellite phone and is directly connected to Micha in the Med Ward saying:** Micha news finally 

**_Micha:_ ** _Great, where's this bug comin from So I can nip it in the bud before it becomes a pandemic!_

 **Marshall:** It's traced back to the freed prisoners. Those pea brains aren't taking the newly released prisoners to Sunrise Base, instead they're dumping them off on Arsis Base and other surrounding bases. I mean they _know so much more than we Med Ward dwellers do._

 **_Micha:_ ** _Oh they do, do they? Sorry fellas, this base is closed asvare the other surrounding bases. Guess they're gonna have to land at Sunrise base and off load the prisoners there for thirty days of quarantine and isolation followed by blood tests to ensure they're healthy. They sure as hell aint comin anywhere near here! This base is closed! **(hangs up and goes about issuing Jude's orders to shut all landing ports and issued a no landing order to oncoming ships full of newly freed yet potentially infected prisoners)**_

 **Marshall turns and says to Sierra:** You, back to bed! I don't need you getting any worse than what you already are!

**Sierra cautiously heads back to her bedbed where she climbed back under her blankets falling into a restful sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.**

**Meanwhile up front**

**Dustin:** So what's Donovan's problem anyway? 

**Marshall:** He thinks he's got more authority than he actually has and lets just say, Donovan’s a dead man walking when Carbine finds out. **(Pulls out his long range crystalline satellite cell phone and calls Carbine directly saying)** I have a nice chore for you  
  
 _ **Carbine:** Hello to you too Marshall, have you found your brother in law yet? What's your chore?_  
  
 **Marshall:** Yeah he'll be home by tomorrow. One name you hate: Donovan  
  
 _ **Carbine:** What about the little weasel?!_  
  
 **Marshall:** Did you know he's been making curfew decisions for the kids?  
  
 _ **Carbine lurches forward out of her chair and says:** HE'S BEEN DOING WHAT WITHOUT ME KNOWING IT?_  
  
 **Marshall:** Ahh I thought you knew or so he says. He's been enforcing a home before eleven curfew and thus far these guys have fallen prey to Donovan’s curfew rules.  
  
 _ **Carbine:** THAT DAMNED LITTLE WEASLE'S A DEAD MAN WALKING WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM! I'll call you back in a few hours. **(Ends the call to go deal with Donovan)**_

 **Meanwhile in the house the three guards were still arguing in the basement giving Terrence enough time to quietly slip out of the closet, exit the bedroom and head back to his own room, firmly shutting the door behind him to make it look like it had never been opened in the first place.**  
  
 **Terrence heads over to his bed and sits down thinking:** _Bryce and Rei were here this whole time? My god Rei looks terrible! Almost as if she hasn't slept in a long while. Thank god Bryce is still looking after his sister. Right now while it's still on my mind, I've an apology letter I need to write to Sierra for accusing her of causing Crystal's miscarriage. Somewhere deep down inside of me, I knew it wasn't her fault but I didn't care at the time. Then for the first time ever in three years, I seen the shimmering of tears in her eyes. What really made me feel guilty, was the trembling in her voice._ **_(Places his pillows against the headboard of his bed, picks the up pad of paper, writing desk from the bottom of the night stand and pen back up and immediately starts penning a very long heartfelt apology letter to Sierra that didn't include any threats, warnings or hints of pending punishments and when he'd finished and signed his name at the bottom, he folded it then opened the side table drawer to find it contained envelopes, pulls one out, closed the drawer and inserted the letter into the envelope then tucked the flap inside and addressed it simply 'Sierra' then sat it up against the lamp, sat the pen and pad aside, pulled down his pillows, switched off his lamp, picked up the mp4 player, looped the earphones over his ears, inserted the ear buds into his ears, pressed play and fell asleep listening to the rest of the mp4's tracks)_**

  
**_OUTSIDE TERRENCE'S ROOM_ **

  
**Leon enraged says:** WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN HE WASN'T IN HIS ROOM WHEN YOU CHECKED IT AND THOSE TWO AREN'T ANYWHERE ON THE PROPERTY?! **(Calms down and says)** I don't really have any use for them two, so I don't care what happens to either one of them! Did either of you dimwits ever stop to think he may have been in the washroom when you checked his room? There is an ensuite in that bedroom, he could have been using the washroom when you checked and you're all too stupid to realize that. **(Pulls out his cell phone and calls the control room saying)** Check that secured room and tell me if River's still in there. **(Hears the monitor's reply then says)** You idiots! He was in the washroom when you barged in! Of course you'll smell cherries and raspberries, if you smelled any closer you'd also have smelled other tropical fruits! It's the damned air freshener you morons! It's called Tropical Delight! Still don't believe the ones in the control room that he's in his room? Listen carefully **(Pulls out the control switch to Terrence's collar, turns it on then shoves the lever all the way to maximum**

  
**In Terrence's room**

  
**Terrence feels a sudden jolt of electricity that knocked him off of bed and onto his hands and knees as the maximum voltage ran through his collar, he cried out in pain:** PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! STOP! I CAN'T BREATHE! PLEASE STOP! (Passes out onto the floor unconscious from lack of air as the collar finally loosened)

**Out in the Hall**

  
**Leon quickly drops the control box that had started to spark, shake and smoke onto the ground as it exploded saying:** Now did you idiots hear that? He's in his room! He's been there the whole time you morons were out searching for him! Now since you made me use the maximum amount of voltage that literally destroyed the control and the collar, you idiots can go and check to see if he's alive in his room! Oh never mind I can't trust either of you to do anything! I do so hope you're happy! The collar no longer works! Unleashing the maximum voltage to the collar shorted it out and blew the remote to hell! **(calls his medic saying)** Trojan get your ass out here!  
  
 **Radar comes out and says:** How the hell many times must I say it?! It's not Trojan! It's ROY! Now what do you want?  
  
 **Leon:** Go to the sealed room and ensure River is still very much alive!  
  
 **Radar:** As you wish Leon. **(Turns and heads towards Terrence's room until he was outside, took the key down off the hook and inserted it into the lock turning it clockwise until the door was unlocked, shoved open the door, shut it behind him and rushed to Terrence's side dropping to his knees he shook him saying)** Hey! Hey! Terrence, it's Radar! Talk to me! C'mon! Think of my sister, your kids, Mimic, Snoopy and Holly! Not to mention Bryce and Rei!  
  
 **Terrence starts to regain consciousness saying:** Wh-what happened?  
  
 **Radar:** Leon unleashed the full amount of voltage that collar can handle, it's completely burnt out now. **(Assists his brother-in-law into a sitting position saying)** You alright?  
  
 **Terrence:** I think so, I must've passed out from lack of air getting in. This collar got so tight around my throat, I couldn't breathe not to mention the pain the shocks were causing me. I'll be lucky if my natural electrical system doesn't go haywire.  
  
 **Radar:** No worries, there won't be anymore shocks coming from that collar. Leon blew the controls to it to kingdom come. You can safely leave this place at anytime as I've looped the video feed to make it look like you're still here. (Reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a flat head screw driver and says) Don't move! (Sticks the flathead into the grooves of the screw around the back of the collar and starts twisting it counter clockwise until the screw fell out and the collar fell off Terrence's neck as he says) There we go, it's off now! I'll arrange for you to get the hell out of here shortly after Leon and the goon squad leave for that winter solstice concert the next town over at around nine, can you be ready round about eleven thirty midnight? I'll send Julie, Skippy and Mimic here around ten or ten thirty. By the time they get here, I'll have already gone ahead back to my place on Mars to be with Tracker who will probably be having a berry fit because I haven't called him in over six months and we're usually in constant contact.  
  
Terrence: Of course I can be ready around eleven thirty midnight, I don't have much here that belongs to me.  
  
Radar: Shh don't tell anyone but I got in touch with Sierra's tour, Bryce and Rei are on her bus right now being cared for by Marshall.  
  
Terrence heaves a sigh of relief saying: Oh thank god they're with someone.  
  
Radar: Yeah I called her here and Dustin hid the bus in the woods until I went out and escorted the two of them to the bus where they boarded and the bus took off. I'm hoping that by the time Alex gets back here from the guardian realm with a camper, they'll be on their way back home. If the weather doesn't let them leave tonight, then they'll be back home tomorrow night the latest. Think you can stand up?  
  
Terrence with his right arm over Radar's left shoulder and his help slowly starts to stand on his unsteady legs until he was standing on his own two feet and says: I'll be fine. I'm just a bit wobbly. Just help me back to the bed where I was when I got pulled off from the severity of the shocks.  
  
Radar assists Terrence back over to the bed and says: Here we go, take it easy until supper arrives. It's lasagna with lactose free cheese, some goodies from Lance's baking class-all low in sugar, and a variety of drinks and yes Crystal's gone home to rest. She stopped in at the control room to see me on her way home and your brother was up the tree very well hidden with a black paper boy cap on his head to hide his copper hair. Until then, go on back to sleep collar free for once. I have to get back out there and give a phony report to Leon. Oh and under your bed, there's a winter jacket complete with hat, scarf and gloves to keep you warm on the way out to the camper along with a med ward battle field pack to pack leftovers in. (Turns and heads towards the door that he opened and slipped out not locking the door behind him while Terrence laid back and fell back asleep)  
  
What seemed like a few minutes later, but in actuality was eight o'clock, Terrence, over the music still playing in the earphones, heard the serving door slide open and a metal tray being set down on a metal rolling serving ledge.  
  
Removing the earphones from his ears and setting aside the still fully charged mp4 player on the night stand table, Terrence slowly got up off the bed, went over to check under the dome to find two dishes of piping hot lasagna fresh from the oven, a 1 litre bottle of diet Pepsi, a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip muffins, a large triple chocolate fudge layer cake and cookies, a sandwich bag in case he got full and couldn't eat his muffins, cake and cookies, a bowl of rich creamy lactose free double chocolate chip ice cream and some antacids in case he got a stomach ache along with a nice tall glass of chocolate lactose free milk and two tea pots full of freshly brewed coffee and straight up herbal tea just the way he liked it, when he spotted a note nestled in amongst the muffins, unfolded it to read the message noting that somewhere someone had placed a bottomless guardian realm book bag for him to use then picked up and carried the tray over to his bed, sat it down and was about to cut the lasagna when he noticed that it was already cut, so using the cake lifter, he gently lifted a large piece and sat it on his plate, then poured himself a cup of nice hot herbal tea started eating his supper putting his muffins and cookies into the stand up bag provided for him then goes on eating the lasagna until half the small pasta dish remained and he carefully wrapped tinfoil over it to keep it nice and hot then finished his herbal tea.  
  
Standing up to head towards the washroom, Terrence's foot suddenly got caught in something that he pulled out and recognized as a med ward battle field pack with a note stating to fill it up with what little possessions he had with him.  
  
Continuing on his way to the washroom, Terrence tossed the satchel on the bed to fill up, after using the washroom and washing his hands, he returned to his bed and the food he began to eat and the drinks one of which was herbal tea with a splash of honey and lactose free milk that he savored as he drank it then as he'd finished his tea, he filled the backpack with the food and sat it up on his bed and put his dry, clean clothes into it along with everything he brought in from the bathroom- his face cloth was put into a bag along with his soap, his shampoo, mouth wash bottles, toothpaste, toothbrush went into it's container and into a hidden compartment that was quickly filled up, then he folded his towel placed it in the bottom of the bag and began to carefully situate everything else on top of it to make sure the weight was nice and even leaving his books and amusement inside the small cloth satchel that the then three year old Tyson made for him from one of his old med ward shirts he gave him to tear up using his mother's sewing machine with help from the then six year old Rei-Anne.  
  
A few minutes later, Terrence had everything packed and ready to go at midnight, taking one long look around, Terrence decided to take the alarm clock that was sitting on the table when he came back from the first night of torture knowing that it was Tyson's favorite alarm clock that hadn't been packed and sat it in the satchel followed by the magic-calendar and says to himself: Hmm, everything is packed and I'm rare and ready to get outta here and go home. Pike's going out of his mind with worry about my safety, I can feel his worry and practically hear his thoughts. (Glances at the watch that Sakura slaved to be able to buy him for father's day, sets the alarm for eleven fifty five and says) Not bad timing! I've got another five hours before I break outta here and head home. I'll be glad to get away from here! Too many things have happened that I don't care to remember any longer! Wait, if that's a plate glass floor to ceiling window, how will I escape? How can anyone get in? (Heaves a yawn, lays back down on the bed, switches off the lamp then stretches out, becomes comfortable and instantly falls asleep so he'd be well rested when his rescue crew arrived at midnight.)  
  
At exactly ten twenty five, Terrence's watch alarm went off and he slipped off the bed being sure to fix the covers and picked up the back pack that he slid on his back pack, grabbed the letter from in front of the lamp slipping it into the satchel he picked up, turned off the lights and waited for who ever was coming to spring him from his prison when suddenly he heard the door to his room slowly creek open to reveal the two little girls he'd been providing medical care for complete with their back packs and small dog, quietly slip in and shut the door behind them both dressed in warm winter jackets when he remembered there was a box under the bed waiting to be opened.  
  
Terrence whirls around to see little Julie-Anna and her friend Mimic in the door way back packs on their backs, wheeled suit cases with Julie-Anna's partially zipped with her dog's head sticking out leaning against the shut and resealed door and says with a sigh of relief: Julie, Mimic you startled me! Got everything you have all packed up and ready to go sweethearts? (Sees Julie and Mimic nod and says) They should be here when both hands of your watches are on the twelve. In the mean time, why don't you two leave your bags with me and go lay on the bed and get some rest until it's time to go? (Watches as Julie and Mimic headed over to his bed, remove their jackets and boots then takes their back packs and lifts them one at a time up onto the bed followed by Julie's small dog that he removed from the carry-on, grabbed a pillow, laid down and fell asleep one beside the other allowing Terrence to spread a warm quilt over them while they slept until it was time to go, leaving him to kneel down and pull out the box from under the bed that he took to the table in front of the window and opened it while keeping an eye out for their rescue to show up thinking as he pulled out the contents of the box) Wow what an expensive looking jacket it even comes with gloves! (Slips the jacket on and zips it up just as the clock struck midnight he seen three black shadows jumping from stepping stone to stepping stone avoiding the trapped ones until the shadows were right outside the patio doors and cut the wires that were linked to the back up security system and the emergency system making sure nothing was left running on electricity before opening the doors that had been replaced with doors that locked from the outside while  
Terrence went back over to the bed and gently woke a sleeping Julie Anna and Mimic.  
  
Terrence walks over to the bed and leans down and gently shakes Julie and Mimic saying: C'mon girls up and at 'em! They've arrived and are waiting. That's it! (Straightens up and watches as a sleeping Mimic and Julie Anna, woke up, sat up, scooted closer to the edge of the bed then slipped down off the bed, stuffed their feet into their boots, put their jackets and scarves back on, zipped up their jackets, grabbed Julie's small dog slipped him back into the carry-on zipping it up leaving enough room for air to get in and put her bag back on, then went out the door and says) One of you has to take Julie, her bag and her dog with you, she's falling asleep on her feet as it is. Mimic will be fine on her own two feet unless one of you wants to carry her. (Watches as the bigger of the two shadows picked up a very sleepy Julie Anna along with her dog in the wheeled carry on while the second shadow lifted Mimic onto his back then both took off back towards the camper)  
  
Once Terrence was out and the curtains were pulled shut, the sliding glass doors were shut and locked, the silent rescuer took his satchel and carefully opened his pack and stuck it in then shut it and then they both took off running down the path towards the rescue vehicle that was waiting until his rescuer suddenly tripped and fell with a thud.  
  
Terrence hears his rescuer fall with a thud, stops, turns around then crouches down and glances at the girl's face when the doctor in him kicked back in saying: Why are you out in the cold air with a fever?! You oughtta be in bed resting! Now come on, I'll help you up until you're steady on your feet again! You don't look strong enough to get up on your own.  
  
Siernna with Terrence's help slowly gets back up saying: Oughtta but I'm not, I was in bed resting but got pulled out.  
  
Terrence: Why didn't they bring the alternate helper with them instead of you?!  
  
Siernna: The alternate came down with a virus that's been going around.  
  
Terrence while helping the girl up says: Another virus is going around base again?! I'll be busy when I return to work! C'mon just a few more feet, then I want you back in your bed! (Notices how red the girl's face was, removed his left glove and laid a skilled hand under her bangs and pulls it away saying) You shouldn't even be out of bed! You've got a skyrocketing fever that's only going to get worse if we don't get to the camper fast! It's right back to bed for you and I'll be in to check you over!  
  
Siernna nods and starts to run again  
  
With scents of Hawaiian Hibiscus Shampoo wafting in the cold early morning air, Terrence knew his rescuer was a girl no older then thirteen years old.  
  
Once they were close to the vehicle, the girl disappeared out of his sight and into a room off to his right then more light spilled from the camper and finally Terrence seen that it was a renovated camper that was larger and wider than a normal camper was, opened the door and stepped inside welcoming the feel of his long lost freedom removed the heavy bag from his shoulders then sat it down on an empty near by chair and unzipped his jacket removing it and sticking the scarf from around his neck into the sleeve then sat it over the back of the chair and shut the door, the camper started moving fast pulling away from the house on their way back to Mars and Arsis base, his brother greeted him with a tight hug that lasted for almost thirty minutes before he let him go.  
  
Pike releases his brother and says in a low tone of voice only Terrence could pick up on: Are you alright? You look exhausted! Come on and lay down and get some sleep. It'll be a long trip back to base where the rest of your clan's waiting for you to come back home. Who're the little kids that are crashed upstairs with the adorable pup? This (holds out Terrence's Med ward Jacket and continues to say) was all we found of you when the Search Team went looking for you six years ago. It was on the side of the road and a few feet from where we found your lab coat we found your black bag still in tact and everything in it. Your team back home upgraded everything inside and replaced all expired medications with a fresh supply. (Notices Terrence's winter jacket hanging on the back of the chair and says) Nice winter jacket ya got there!  
  
Terrence nods and says: Yes Pike, I'm fine. I'd hoped to have gotten a little more sleep before my alarm went off. I guess I still feel a little bit tired. Her name I guess is Julie-Anna the other one just goes by Mimic, they've been left behind by the others in the house. They're all gone to some party two miles away so Julie, Mimic and I were the only ones left. I'm pretty sure Julie's Cadges kid, looks just like him. As for Mimic, I have no clue as to who she is. (Notices his brother holding his med ward jacket and says) My lab coat! I've been without it for so long I gave up on ever seeing it again! (slips on his lab coat then says) Thanks, it was in a box addressed to me under the bed I've been sleeping in. Nothing that says who it's from just a gift to keep me warm on my way out. It's been so long since I've seen snow, I've often dismissed it as one of Sierra's flights of fantasy, never really giving it much thought until the first time I seen the first snowflake falling then I realized she wasn't weaving a fairy tale to make me feel better and that the earth really did have such a thing as snow. Yesterday was the first time I'd ever seen a blizzard, a bit overwhelming to see nothing but white outside the window. I guess I owe Sierra an apology for calling her a dreamer and accusing her of making up stories about snow and snow storms, I never thought there was a grain of truth in any of her stories, I thought they were just that: made up stories and gently reminded her that she was sixteen and too old for living in the land of make-believe.  
  
Pike automatically notices his brother's strange clothing saying: What happened to your med ward clothes?! Those clothes don't suit you! You're not the only one who has to apologize to her. I've been in this camper a few weeks now and seen snow for the first time. Yesterday's snow storm made me realize how badly I've treated Sierra and how many times I've accused her of photo shopping herself into pictures from books on winter to make her stories more credible. I never ONCE thought that they were actually TRUE stories. All those times she showed Kari and the kids pictures of her house decked out for the holidays it made me angry enough that I told her to stop filling the heads of my kids with her fantasy stories before I did something I'd regret later on. She stopped showing Kari and the kids her photo albums, probably locked them in a trunk in her studio never to see the light of day again. (Heaves a sigh and says) Now that I've seen snow, felt how cold and wet it is and seen some houses decked out for what these humans call Christmas, I have to admit that I was wrong to call her a liar and accuse her of photo shopping herself into pictures I assumed she scanned out of library books. I never once thought to take a closer look at them. While Alex and I were out shopping in the whole sale food club for supplies to stock the fridges, I over heard a little girl no older than Clover, excitedly talking to her friends about her Christmas list and how she sent it to Santa Claus and got a reply back, something else I assumed was a complete fabrication of Sierra's imagination. The decorations and lights are gorgeous, the songs are beautiful but then I recalled all those times I told Sierra to stop making up such elaborate stories and stick to reality. I guess I imposed MY reality on to her and destroyed her innocence, telling her more than once to grow up and step into the real world. Telling her there was no such person as Santa Claus, Christmas was something someone made up that no one celebrated, the decorations, lights and festive traditions were a bunch of bunk. Shows how much our generation really knows about the Earth generation doesn't it?!  
  
Terrence heaves a sigh and says: Yeah, shows how little we believe their stories. I too often found myself quietly groaning at what I assumed were Sierra's ridiculous stories. I often times brushed them off without thinking about how Crystal would feel.  
  
Pike: Crystal? What's she got to do with it?  
  
Terrence heaves a sigh and says: Have you forgotten she too was Leon's prisoner at one time? She spent nine years locked away. I'm surprised she escaped and found her way back to Mars. I have no idea where my original clothes and boots are. Who came to the room? I don't think I've met them before. Crystal brought me a new set of clothes and footwear but I haven't had time to put them on.  
  
Pike notices several singed areas on his brother's neck and says: Oh god she was right! They had a shock collar on you didn't they?  
  
Terrence: Yeah for the last four years. It was punishment for trying to run away. I was so close, fifteen more feet and I'd have been free! But they caught me and strapped a shock collar around my neck to keep me under control. Even went as far as to give me a new name and started training me in a new profession just so no one would put two and two together.  
  
Pike: New name? New profession?  
  
Terrence: How does River the Baker sound?  
  
Pike: You? A Baker? You who can't boil water without Crystal near by to turn the stove off? I don't think so! Matter of fact I KNOW SO!  
  
Terrence: Hey I had to fend for myself in College, University, Med School, Grad and Post Grad School! I can cook, just never had a reason to do so until I met Crystal and started having kids, then I started having a reason to cook and it all started with Rei and Bryce.  
  
Pike smells the scent of food saying: Do I smell Lasagna, cookies, Muffins and the works in that bag of yours? They're trying to go to sleep, am I right?  
  
Voice from back bedroom heaves a yawn and between coughing fits says: Yes.  
  
Terrence nods, opens it to remove the light satchel, his clothes and finally removes the food and drink saying: Yeah, I've still got an entire pan left over, along with hot chocolate, tea, coffee, pop, lactose free chocolate milk if you prefer, cookies, muffins and a huge cake I found before I left. Want some? (Hears his brothers stomach rumble and says) You haven't eaten anything? Not too bright Pike, if your sugar levels get too low, you could pass out from hunger. Sit and I'll give you something to eat to keep you going. (Removes the tinfoil from over top of the pan of lasagna then removes several plates and puts a big hefty slice on a plate that he gave to his brother to eat for his supper and says after sitting down to eat with his brother) How's Crystal doing? Did she make it back home alright and go straight to bed the way I told her to? Who's back there that you don't want bothering me anymore? I don't get it, who ever it is, they sound mighty sick to be out in the cold air with that kind of cough. (Looks up and notices Mimic was up and says) Mimic what're you doin up at this hour of the night? You hungry too? C'mon over and I'll give you somethin to eat and drink then it's back to bed with you. It's quarter to one in the morning!  
  
Pike nods, swallows his lasagna and says: Hmm, yeah she's fine. Yes she went straight to bed after she undid the last wish and put a magic cap on the little kids so no more spontaneous wish magic wishes. Thank your lucky stars nothing was destroyed! They're little devils with out of control magic! When will this end? (Notices the little girl addressed as Mimic standing beside him, leans over and picks her up sitting her beside him and says) Where'd this one come from?  
  
Terrence: That is Mimic, who she belongs to and where she came from is beyond me. She's either Marshall's kid or she's Badge's kid. (Pulls out a small notebook and heaves a sigh saying) Well no wonder you're up! You haven't been fed yet! They never gave you your insulin shot either! Dammit you're really late getting your shot! It's supposed to be given at six on the dot not at one in the morning! I hope I'm not too late doing this! (Opens the chilled cooler and pulls out a needle pen set to five units then opens an alcohol wipe saying to his brother) Put Mimic between the two of us so I can give Mimic her insulin shot before something happens. (Watches as Mimic with Pike's help stood up and switched to between the two brothers and sat down as Pike pulled his plate and glass over to him and put the Wysteria Pony Patterned plate, bowl, cup, cutlery and glass in front of Mimic and says while wiping a spot) Quick pinch Mimic then you can get to eating. (Sticks the needle in, pushes down on the plunger and removes it saying) Alright, all done, you can eat now. When they start magic school tomorrow afternoon. They'll start learning how to keep their budding magic from accidentally granting unwanted wishes. Give 'em time, you've probably noticed that from time to time when Starlight hiccups she disappears then reappears. She's going through the same thing, she has new unsteady developing magic in her. (Pulls out a chilled mason jar filled with orange juice that he opened followed by Mimic's Pinkie Pie cup that he filled with the orange juice then sat a slice of lasagna on the plate and put it in front of where Mimic was sitting saying) Now eat up, then use the washroom and right back to bed with you. (Notices Mimic had finished and scoots out saying) Off ya go Mimic. To the washroom then back upstairs and into bed. (Watches as Mimic slipped off the bench and headed back upstairs saying) Tell me Crystal didn't show up back there alone!  
  
Pike: No way in hell would I let her go alone! I was with her when we rode by on our way back to this camper, she said she had a feeling that you were in that house in the back bedroom. But we continued back here where she packed you clean clothes and we doubled back. I hid in the overgrown tree shadows so that no one would be able to see me. Mmm, nothin like my sister in law and niece's lasagna. Like I said, they're trying to get some sleep, please wait until morning to see them and let them get some sleep. That should suffice her until morning. How're you going to figure out who she belongs to?  
  
Terrence: I have connections, besides I have Mimic's backpack. If I'm right, there's a pocket on the inside of the big part that will house everything we need to find out who her parents are. (Picks up and unzips the My Little Pony Wysteria back pack, reaches in to pull out a pencil case saying) Here we go, calling on my years of doing this for Bryce, Rei, Tyson and Sakura, there ought to be parental and medical information in here. (Unzips the pencil case and says) A-ha! Here we go now we're getting somewhere! (pulls out an emergency contact page and says) Damn I knew it! She's Marshall's kid! His ex-nanny ran off with her. Actual name isn't Mimic, it's Noelle! When I have time to myself alone, I'll give Marshall a call and tell him I've got Noelle. If you're not going to tell me who it is that came to escort me here, I'll find out myself! No male in his right mind uses Sweet Hawaiian Hibiscus Shampoo to wash their hair with! Not many guys even know what a Hawaiian Hibiscus even IS! (Stands up and collects the dirty dishes, heads over to the dishwasher, opens the door, pulls out the top rack and loads all the dirty dishes then closes the door and heads to the very back of the camper and reaches out to turn the knob on the door only to find it appeared to be locked and says) Why's this door locked?  
  
Pike: Noelle? Sierra's little sister? That door's not locked, it has a nasty habit of sticking and they're resting right now. Put your shoulder to it and give it a shove. Right now they'd like peace and quiet so they can sleep.  
  
Terrence still lost says: They? It'd be nice to offer my thanks to them face to face.  
  
Pike: If you want to meet the person on the other side of the door, you'll just have to wait. Just let them rest awhile longer like until morning, like you said they sound mighty sick to be out in the cold air with that kind of cough.  
  
James comes out of his room and says: It was made crystal clear to them that in no way shape or form were they to get back up out of bed given how they're feeling.  
  
Terrence heaves a sigh and says: Let me see her so I can check her over and find out what she's come down with.  
  
James: You never noticed your rescuer fell on the way out? What did they sound like? Think hard.  
  
Terrence thinks hard about the girl and says: Their face was flushed under the eyes, forehead was boiling hot and they struggled to suppress a nasty cough. My bets are on the fact they're sick and should never have been allowed out of bed and out into the cold night air!  
  
Pike heaves a sigh and says: Things happened that lead up to them coming with us.  
  
Terrence: It's still eluding me why she was even out of bed in her condition in the first place!  
  
James heaves a sigh and says: We were originally going to bring Scout with us and leave her home with Kari, but his wife went into labor early with their first baby and Shadow's sick in bed with a stomach virus, every time he sits up, he throws up. (Reaches around the door frame and grabs Sierra's latest medical file complete with a lab report from six weeks prior and says) Here's their medical file, though the lab results are from six days ago.  
  
Terrence takes the file from James's hand, heads back to the table to sit and read through the file before saying: Well my instincts are right. They ARE sick! I'd---dammit I have no medical gear!  
  
James opens a cubby and pulls out the black bag Terrence had lost six years ago and says: Yes you do! We found this a few feet from where we found your lab coat. Is that damned door sticking again? I'll have to apply more WD-40 to the joints and more gel to the door frame again. Every time it gets warm the joints seize up and stick.  
  
Pike: Long story short, it's a long distance relation from looooong into the future.  
  
Terrence jerks his head up and says: WHAT?!  
  
James sits saying: One of your future relations came back in time. None of us exist, her parents are too busy with reno’s and Siernna can't be near dust due to her dust allergies.  
  
Terrence: Dust allergies and reno's goin on?  
  
Pike heaves a sigh and says: Yep there's dust everywhere and to make it even worse she has a sugar junkie brother who would rather eat more sugar than he needs and forget to take his insulin shot because it interferes with his gaming and junking time.  
  
Terrence: Not a very smart move to skip insulin shots. A diabetic's body needs insulin to help break down sugars in the body and over sugaring your body can lead to further complications not to mention rotten teeth that need to be pulled or a mouth full of cavities.  
  
Pike: Well that's her brother, he's got a mouth full of cavities and she's only had two in very hard to brush and floss areas other than that, she's been good to go.  
  
James notices Terrence had grabbed a bag of cookies and a mason jar of milk and says: Whoa! NO! No peanut butter! She has sever nut allergies and is lactose intolerant. Can't eat peanut butter and can't drink milk.  
  
Terrence notices he'd grabbed what he thought were peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies and jar of chocolate milk out of habit and sets them down saying: Then I can't give them that or they'll get sick. I've gotta have something in that food pack of mine that isn't laced with nuts or milk! But what?!  
  
Pike grabs a cookie from the pile on the plate out of Terrence's bag and says: Aren't Tyson and Sakura lactose intolerant and allergic to nuts?  
  
Terrence recalls his son and daughter's food allergies and says: Wait a minute! These aren't peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies! (Picks up a cookie and sniffs it then says) They're chocolate Soya bean cookies and lactose free milk! Of course! Crystal learned to change recipes calling for nuts rather early in Bryce, Rei-Anne, Tyson and Sakura's lives to avoid causing them anaphylaxis shock! One scare was enough for both of us to outlaw milk and nuts and to carefully screen people coming in contact with them. Hell I made sure anyone coming into the med ward was nut and milk free otherwise Bryce, Rei-Anne, Tyson, Sakura and Crystal stayed at home to avoid triggering their allergies!  
  
Pike bites a cookie he'd picked up saying: I was beginning to wonder when you'd realize that these are cookies Crystal makes for Tyson, Sakura, Bryce and Rei-Anne  
  
Terrence: Haven't you had enough to eat yet? Keep eating and the spare tire will start getting bigger and more pronounced.  
  
Pike: HEY! Hitting below the belt there!  
  
Terrence: Well then, stop making a pig of yourself! At our age we can't keep eating everything in sight and expect our digestion rate to automatically delete the fat from our midsections. We're not that young anymore and you oughtta know that by now. Haven't you noticed your pants are a big snug in the waist and rear?  
  
Pike finishes the cookie he was eating and says: Unfortunately yes I have noticed my pants are a big snug in the waist and backside. I've also noticed I've gone up several pant and shirt sizes as well. (Remembers what had happened to him when he bent down to pick up Clover,Holly,Poppy and Lilly who had wanted up and becomes embarrassed to the point he blushed causing his brother to call him out on it)  
  
Terrence notices his brother's embarrassed face and says: Care to share with me what's gotten you embarrassed?  
  
Pike mutters: You just had to go mention my pants being too small  
  
Terrence tips his head to the left and says: What happened?  
  
Pike heaves a sigh saying: Since they were tired, irritable, cranky and hungry, Clover, Poppy and Lilly wanted up and when I went to bend over to pick them up, my pants split. If it wasn't for Kari being quick and nimble with a needle and thread, I'd have had to borrow one of your lab coats to get home and change my pants.  
  
Terrence starts snickering saying: You split your pants? How bad?  
  
Pike: From below the fly to below the back belt loop.  
  
Terrence sits back down and stretches saying while trying not to laugh: Now you get what it means when Sierra says: The Pig is ready for slaughter. She means no ill intent when she says that, I know you've gotten either frustrated with her or angry. Just remember that Sierra's harmless, she doesn't mean any harm nor does she mean anything to be insultive towards you or anyone else for that matter. From my understanding of what Crystal's brother Radar's told me, I have a big misunderstanding to try and clear up and hopefully try and put a working relationship back on the tracks before something happens that can't be fixed.  
  
Pike heaves a sigh and says: So you've heard have you?  
  
Terrence heaves a sigh saying: No, not really. I just know a few sketchy details of what happened. Mostly that Sandstorm's mad as hell at Sierra over what, Crystal never stated.  
  
Pike: From what Kari's told me, it centers around a miscommunication. Crystal was either walking Sierra through a Chem problem or she was discussing something and Sandstorm heard the very tail end of it, started assuming Sierra was discussing something about his sex life that was none of her business and accused her of planting a hidden video camera in his bedroom to record him and Trigger's sex life to broad cast. The details are confusing even to me and I've been down that dark road of thinking Sierra was referring to something she wasn't. But in my case, I asked questions and got clear answers that even I could understand, where as Sandstorm and Trigger jumped off the cliff and into assumption and accusationville. How could Sierra plant a hidden recorder in their bedroom if she's never been told where their quarters are?  
  
Terrence heaves a heavy sigh and says: I'm trying to figure that out myself. Remember a few years ago when Braden and Brody both made that accusation? They were both married a little over three years to their wives and each had assumed Sierra had knowledge of where they lived and had planted micro camera’s in their bedrooms to record them having sex, except they filed charges against her and took it all the way determined to make her feel the way they were feeling. Midway through the ordeal, their wives talked them out of going any further and just opted to move off of Arsis base and over to Polaris Base which is still brand new. Curtis on the other hand, when he heard what had happened well things didn't go as I had anticipated they'd go with the trade. I sent Sierra with her parents consent, over to Polaris Base in exchange for Roxy, unfortunately I had no idea that was where Braden and Brody were living and working until several days later when Sierra came back to base with a sealed letter from Curtis stating Braden and Brody were too uncomfortable having her there so he was sending Sierra back voiding the agreement to train her. It's not like anyone was asking Braden and Brody to allow Sierra into their lives, she would've had quarters to herself, during the night she'd have stuck to her quarters minding her own business not bothering anyone, but they were too vocal about their discomfort of having her there so Curtis sent her back. I too have travelled down that road very very early in my time with Sierra. I assumed one day she had planted a video camera in the bathroom of a cabin we were in to record me using the washroom. The accusation was wrong, baseless and was never brought up, but at the same time I talked with Crystal about it and came to the conclusion I was being ridiculous. The next day, clearer thoughts and calmer heads prevailed and I owned up and apologized to Sierra for accusing her of recording me while I used the washroom. Several years later shortly after her thirteenth birthday, again I thought I seen her in the men’s room, became enraged and ready to write up a disciplinary report on her inexcusable behavior. The more I wrote down on a draft page, the more senseless it seemed to me that I was accusing someone of standing in a small washroom stall big enough for one person to watch me relieve myself. Not only that but again just before I went on that wild goose chase, I accused her of watching me at the urinal through the mirror. I was so sure it was Sierra that I seen, but then I stopped and thought it over and realized it had been Tyson I'd seen not Sierra. Nothing ever came of that, I didn't say anything about it to anyone. I guess Sandstorm must've decided his thought process was the right one and his thoughts made perfect sense. As soon as I settle back in, I'll speak with Sandstorm and Trigger. Maybe talking to another adult about what happened will help them come to see that their anger is misplaced and accusing Sierra of hiding a micro-cam in their bedroom is an impossibility as Sierra doesn't know where their quarters are. I mean it was bad enough when Lance and Meimi accused her of making death threats to them over the phone for an entire year, until things got sorted out and they both apologized for being so presumptous. (Finally after twenty minutes of hard stretching he hears his stiff joints pop and relaxes saying) Oh that feels good. At long last I've loosened up (Hears a few more pops then says) Well that feels a whole lot better, even my legs feel looser and my back has stopped complaining about being tight.  
  
Pike hears popping coming from his brother and says: What the hell was that? I figured it out as soon as my pants ripped. Oh don't worry, your sister in law grabbed me by the ear and dragged me over to a digital precision scale and made me get on.  
  
Terrence: Hmm? Just my joints reminding me they were stiff and in need of stretching. Don't you ever hear Starlight when she stretches? Her joints do the snap crackle and pop before she's done. What were the results of getting on the scale without your boots on?  
  
Pike heaves a sigh and says: 321  
  
Terrence: Don't you think you'd better lay off all the junk food and start slimming back down?  
  
Pike: Yeah I'd better start slimming down. Once TC,KC and JC were born I guess my attention went to raising them while Kari recovered from her C-Section and when they were six years old and the boys nine, Kari got pregnant again with Clover, Poppy and Lilly. That pregnancy was the last one as it was the hardest one on Kari. In one month alone she gained fifty pounds, twenty pounds over the next eight months, by the time Clover, Poppy and Lilly were close to being due Kari had lost at least a hundred and fifty extra unnecessary pounds. By the time Clover, Poppy and Lilly were ready to be born, Kari weighed 198 pounds and after Clover, Poppy and Lilly were born, she slimmed down to 160 pounds and kept loosing weight while staying home with Clover,Holly,Poppy and Lilly.  
  
Terrence stands up and says: Clover, Poppy and Lilly were breast fed right up until their first birthday when Kari switched them over to solid food. What better way to loose weight than to breast feed your child. Right now I think it's best for me to go give her a checking over. How do you get that door unstuck?  
  
James heaves another sigh and says: I'll go talk to my brother about the door sticking and next pit stop, he'll come back and fix it. He'll be switching with our brother Terrance to give his eyes a rest. (Heads up to the front of the camper and says) The door is sticking again  
  
Alex heaves a sigh and says: Next pit stop I'll fix it again so that it will stop sticking. I'm getting tired of it sticking, sometimes you have to throw your entire weight against it before it decides to open. It won't kill for them to meet, she doesn't even know he existed. To Siernna, Terrence and Crystal are nothing but legends gone before their time. A loving couple in a photograph that hangs on the memorial wall of the Med ward and in a family photo on the wall of the living room of her family's quarters.  
  
Terrance: All three of us know that it kills the future Rei-Anne to talk about how her parents died and because of the fact Bryce was the one who found their dad dead in a pool of his blood in the back store room closet throat slit right across his jugular. Their mother was found also with her throat slit in a pool of her own blood. That poor girl lost both her parents in one savage attack by Leon who could care less what he does to who ever gets in his way, Terrence and Crystal's murders were his way of saying 'I've got the upper hand now you can't refuse to do as I want you to do! You've betrayed me for the last time so now I'll take your lives!' .  
  
James heaves a loaded sigh and says: Rei-Anne's mostly busy trying to get Digger to brush his teeth longer than five seconds with no luck and has warned him she's about to bring hell down on him by putting him on a sugar ban until he learns to brush his teeth. As it is he's a type two diabetic on eighty six units of insulin three times a day that he hardly if ever remembers to take. (Returns to the back of the camper saying in a voice only Pike could hear) Pike it's alright, tell your brother who the girl is.  
  
Pike: You sure?  
  
James: Yeah the go ahead came a minute ago.  
  
Pike: No, it's not my place. If he wants to meet and learn of her relation to him, Rei-Anne's his daughter not mine.  
  
James: Alright then if that's how you want to do it, we'll let him figure out her relationship to him and let Starlight tell him why Sierra doesn't know who he is.  
  
Terrance groans saying: I just hope he can stomach the gruesome parts of the story.  
  
Pike snickers saying: My brother sees worse then the contents of the story on a daily basis, he has the stomach for it. That poor girl's been getting the short fuzzy end of the lollipop her entire life. She has a sugar junkie for a brother who thus far has had eight cavities filled with six more waiting to be filled and he's on twenty eight units of insulin three times a day or in Digger's words 'when ever I remember to take my insulin. Sometimes I dial it down to eight units just to get it over with.  
  
James: Your niece will let you know when her kid can come home. As for now it's best she stays either with you or your brother. Did Clover ever find her swift heart rabbit doll?  
  
Pike: Siernna found it at the back of Cougar's crate where he was sleeping with it. She made Cougar a deal and got the bunny back for Clover reminding him it was Clover's bunny not his. Hearing it wasn't a rogue stuffed bunny, Cougar took it to Clover's room and returned it. Still don't know what the bargain was she made with him. But I have a feeling it has something to do with going to earth for a doggy spa day. (Heaves a sigh and leans back saying) Siernna's hiding the fact she's sick. If she goes with Terry, he's no nonsense about staying in bed and taking medication while he stands there to ensure you actually take it.  
  
James: Now that you mention it, she is sluggish and falls asleep at strange times and there is that virus making it's rounds through the kids and adults. Be thankful Clover isn't sick or she'd be bawling her eyes out for you to coddle her and make her better.  
  
Pike heaves a sigh and leans forward saying: Thankfully it hasn't hit Clover, Poppy and Lilly yet. (Feels his cell phone vibrating against his leg and pulls it out swiping the lever to the right and says) Kari? What's wrong hon?  
  
Kari hears Pike's voice and says: Oh I'm sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?  
  
Pike: No why?  
  
Kari: Because Clover's sick.  
  
Pike: You're kidding me!  
  
Kari: No, she's running a temp.  
  
Pike groans and says: Terrific! How many of our kids are sick now?  
  
Kari: The triplets and Clover that's it. The Boys, Poppy,Holly and Lilly have already been sick.  
  
Pike: How's she holding up with me not being there?  
  
Kari: Right now Clover's in bed out like a light with a cooling patch on her forehead cuddled down with her Swift Heart Rabbit doll, she has no clue you're not home. But she won't be clueless for long, she'll be wanting you if she wakes up during the night. She had soup and juice for supper and has been out like a light since she ate. How much longer will you be gone?  
  
Pike: Not much longer, just try to get her to drink ginger ale for her stomach and before too long I'll hopefully be home again. Terry's trying to relax right now and after that he'll probably want to have a bit of a rest before he heads home with Sierra and a couple of kids that came with him.  
  
Kari heaves a sigh of relief and says: Oh you found him?  
  
Pike: Yes like I said he's trying to relax right now. He'll see to Clover tomorrow after he's had a decent night's sleep and has had time with Crystal who is also bitten by this bug. (Hears the sick bell being rung and says) I'd better let you go and find out who's ringing their sick bell and I'll be home as fast as I can alright?  
  
Kari looks up at the sick bell that was ringing and says: It's TC calling from Clover's room. Oh no, Clover sat up and threw up on her bedding then slipped out of her bed, left her room and went to TC‘s bedroom to get her to help her clean up. Even though TC knows she‘s not to be out of bed she probably did it anyways with what strength she has ,got Clover changed out of her vomit covered night clothes and into fresh ones and just now ran out of strength and energy and called for me so she can go back to bed. Alright I'll see you when you get back home and be careful. (Hangs up on her end to go and get Clover some clean bedding that she took into her room, stripped her bed and remade it while Clover sat in her rocking chair holding her Bright Heart Raccoon doll as TC slowly made it back across the hall to her own room and back into bed)  
  
Pike hangs up and says to his brother who looked at him quizzically saying: That was your dear sister in law, four of your nieces are home in bed sick. Clover sat up to get out of bed to use the washroom and threw up all over her comforter, her fitted sheet and her pj's then called TC to help her clean up. There's a nice pile of laundry for me to get done before one of the other girls calls her.  
  
Terrence: Sounds more like a 24 hour bug going around the kids. Keep them in bed and keep them hydrated and comfortable. It'll run it's course without medication. The best medication is chicken soup, apple juice, tuna sandwiches, ice cream and ginger ale. If at all possible in the morning, bring all four girls to me and I'll find out what they've caught by drawing blood. She'll sit still for you while I do it.  
  
James puts his right shoulder to the door and throws his weight against it to unstick it then backs away and says: Here ya go, door's open and unstuck. Go ahead and go in to give your thanks.  
  
Terrence stands up, grabs the bag of Soya nut chocolate chip cookies and bottle of lactose free milk from the table along with his black medic bag then heads over to the door and reaches out, grasps the door knob and turns it to the right and pushes the door in taking a deep breath that he slowly let out he says: Mind if I come in?  
  
Siernna after heaving a long yawn says between coughs: Sure  
  
Terrence pushes the door open further, slips in shutting the door behind him then turns and says: Ooo-h, they were right. You are sick!  
  
Sierrna fighting to stay awake says: heh? Oh it's nothing. (starts coughing rather deeply and thinks) Oh I hope he didn't hear that! Once I start it's rather hard to stop! (Notices the cookies and says) Oh no, not peanut butter cookies! I can't have peanut butter!  
  
Terrence walks over to the bed, sits down, opens his black bag pulling out his stethoscope saying: Oh no, these are Soya nut chocolate chip cookies and cold lactose free milk. I have children who have your condition and this is what they eat, it's nut allergy safe and lactose free. You can't hide a cold from me! I'm better trained at detecting sickness than you are at hiding it!  
  
Siernna takes the bag of Soya nut chocolate chip cookies and bottle of lactose free milk and puts them in her cooler saying: Not right now, I'd much rather go to sleep while I can.  
  
Terrence sits on the bed beside Siernna, lays his skilled hand under her bangs on her forehead and says: You definitely have a high grade fever. Just how high we'll soon find out! (Pulls out a fever patch that he placed on Siernna's forehead then pulled out a digital thermometer that he turned on saying) Open and hold this, no talking until it beeps. In the mean time I want to hear that chest of yours! (Slips the thermometer under Siernna's tongue then puts the ear pieces of the stethoscope into his ears and warms up the listening piece and lays it on Sierra's chest then on her back saying) Eeesh! Your chest is clogged up and I can hear your breath rattling around inside! (Pulls out his blood pressure cuff, wraps it around Siernna’s upper left arm and inflates it until he got a good reading then puts the scope under the cuff to hear her pulse saying) Your blood pressure's also up from whatever you're battling (Deflates then removes the blood pressure cuff from around Sierra's upper left arm and tucks it back in his bag along with his stethoscope then reaches up and removes both the fever patch and digital thermometer saying with a sigh) It's a high grade fever alright, it's one oh four. (Pulls out his tongue depressor and light saying) C'mon kiddo, open wide and let me see that throat of yours! (Watches as Sierra opened wide and pressed the tongue depressor down on her tongue taking a good long look down her throat with his endoscope before saying) Bright red and raw with yep an infection starting! (Tosses the tongue depressor into the garbage then says) I'm gonna check your nose, from the sounds of things you're plugged up. (Pokes his endoscope up Siernna's nose and says) Yipes, you're clogged up alright! No wonder you find it hard to breathe! (Removes his endoscope from Siernna's nose and cleans it off then puts it in his bag saying) One more thing, lets get a check on that throat of yours (Gently squeezes Siernna's throat saying) See if you can swallow for me. (Feels as Siernna struggled to swallow and says) Just as I suspected, your throat's not only infected but you're also having a difficult time swallowing. You're staying in that bed until we get back home! Then you'll come with me to my place and get settled in so I can keep an eye on you. I've got an extra bedroom for you that you can sleep in. (Digs around in his bag and says) Ah-ha! I knew I always packed cough syrup and fever reducer for cases like this! (Pulls out an unopened box of cough syrup that would combat the cough congestion in Siernna's chest and help her sleep, removes the bottle and safety plastic then opens it removing the cap and dosing cup he measures out four table spoons saying) For now four table spoons of Buckley's Jack and Jill Cough Congestion four times a day, now open and take this stuff cause you've got fever reducer to take and a powerful antibiotic I'm starting you on right now to combat that growing infection! You-you're familiar to me for some reason, but I can't place your name or where I've met you. We have met before haven't we?  
  
Siernna takes the dosing cup from Terrence's hand and swallows every last drop of the cough syrup saying: Ugh that stuff's awful tasting! (Hands Terrence back the dosing cup and says) No, I'd remember if we'd met.  
  
Terrence takes the dosing cup from Siernna's hand and fills it up with the freshly opened fever reducer to the four table spoon level and says: Of course it tastes awful but it'll start to work on decongesting your chest. Now here, take this. (Hands Sierra the dosing cup full of fever reducer saying) It's the fever reducer that'll bring your temperature down.  
  
Siernna dryly replies: Oh yay more medicine. (Takes the cup and downs the entire four tables spoons and hands it back saying) Even nastier.  
  
Terrence takes the dosing spoon from Siernna's hand and puts it in a Ziploc bag that he tossed back into his medic bag then pulls out the antibiotic pills and shakes two into the palm of his hand then caps the pill bottle, opens Siernna's cooler pulling out a bottle of cold water that he opened and says: Take these now before you lay back. (Hands Siernna the two pills and open bottle of water saying) Take as much water as you can to take those pills so they go down. You do NOT want them coming back up again. (Watches as Siernna drained the entire bottle of water then took the empty bottle and tossed it into her recycling bin, then pulled her pillow down and lifts the blanket up from the foot of the bed saying) Lay back and rest. The medication should start kicking in soon.  
  
Siernna lays back against the pillow allowing Terrence to tuck her in  
  
Terrence stares long and hard at Siernna before saying: You look like my long lost daughter Rei-Anne. (Notices a lone framed picture above her head and pulls it down saying) My god that IS my daughter as an adult! Who are you kid and why is there no dad in the pic?  
  
Siernna fights the medication saying: Your future granddaughter. My old man? He's there, the stupid photographer cropped him out. You can sorta see his hand right there on the right holding onto a shirt collar. Yeah that's the dimwit I call my little brother Digger. He's an idiot and loves eating sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar. I don't know where he is right now but I do have a bigger picture in my bag that has dad in it  
  
Terrence hangs the photo back on it's nail saying: Stop fighting the medication! The sooner you stop fighting the medication the sooner it can start working and doing it's job. Good grief! My future grand daughter?! I'll take a look at it once you're asleep! Whoa, I never thought Rei-Anne would ever be capable of having kids because of her epilepsy! Geeze what kind of future grandparent am I? I still don't know your name.  
  
Siernna fighting to stay awake: Siernna Elsa Rei-Anne Caitlin Sakura Crystal Cley. As for mom's seizures, she's on a cocktail of medications that keeps the seizures under control. She went off a few of them while pregnant with me and again when pregnant with Digger with no troubles. She did say uncle Tyson and aunt Sakura had surgeries when they were thirteen years old.  
  
Terrence pulls down an extra blanket from the cubby above Siernna's head and spreads it out over her tucking the ends under the foot of the mattress and spreads it up around her throat saying: Oh that's right, he and Sakura both have a major in patient surgeries coming up at the end of next month to have those tumors removed from his heart and have his seminal ducts cleared of any blockages. Sakura's having a pace maker surgically implanted in her heart to keep it from beating out of control again and having ovarian and uterine cysts removed before they make it impossible for her to conceive and carry a child. But we're considering fast tracking the surgery as the blockages are starting to make him sick and Sakura's heart won't last much longer without the pace maker. Thankfully I'm back before their sixteenth birthday. Do you know if time has stopped?  
  
Siernna sits up and shoves the blankets back saying: Yes time stopped, no one has aged. They all look like they did six years ago. Except you, you're the only one who was inside the stopped flow of time.  
  
Terrence notices Sierra was sitting up uncovered and says with a warning: Si-err-na?  
  
Sierrna reaches up to remove her hair tie shaking out her waist length raven black hair while saying: Yeah?  
  
Terrence: What did I just get through telling you NOT to do?  
  
Sierrna heaves a sigh and says: Fight the medicine? (Sets her barrette on her night stand and grabs her brush to quickly run it through her hair saying) Sorry my hair was still tied back. I don't sleep with my hair tied back, I always take it down before bed. (Sets her brush down on her night table)  
  
Terrence cocks his eye brow and says: You're the splitting image of Razz if she were around.  
  
Sierrna: Razz IS my mother.  
  
Terrence: Rei's your mother?  
  
Sierrna: Uh-huh. What want my B.A.?  
  
Terrence: Your what now?  
  
Sierrna reaches into her bag, pulls out a framed birth announcement hands it to Terrence and says: Birth Announcement from when I was born.  
  
Terrence takes the framed Birth Announcement from Sierrna's hand and says: Rei-Anne and Byron are thrilled to announce the safe birth of their first daughter Sierrna Elsa Rei-Anne Caitlin Sakura Crystal born Christmas Morning at six a.m. Did you inherit Rei-Anne's epilepsy?  
  
Sierrna: Nope and she's glad for it. Had me thoroughly tested for it as well growing up and every possible epilepsy test came back negative.  
  
Terrence heaves a sigh of relief and says: What about Digger?  
  
Sierrna: Who knows? He won't sit still long enough for anyone to get any blood from him to test for the epilepsy marker. He's always so freaking hyper it's not funny. He's destroyed eight beds of mine in two years by jumping on them so hard he destroys the mattress, foundation and the bed frame itself. Mom wound up pulling her old bed out of storage and giving it to me and putting a lock on my door to keep Digger out, but he still got in by backing up to the end of the hall and running full speed towards my door as to which he broke the lock off of and gained entry. Which is why mom and dad are renovating the old storage room on the third floor. I can't be down on the second floor so they're giving me the attic which has a door that can only be opened by pulling up on a cord as it closes downward. Something Digger hates and keeps trying to find a way in. They're done with the reno’s and are currently moving everything from my old room to my new room, then mom will let me know when I can go home again.  
  
Terrence: Now that your hair is down and brushed out little lady, lay down and stay covered up or you'll never get any better than you are now. Now get to sleep! Those antibiotic pills are strong and will make you fall asleep very soon.  
  
Sierrna lays back down and finally falls asleep as the medication kicked in  
  
Terrence covers Sierra back up to her throat and drops a kiss on top of her raven black bangs and hears James come in and says: Hey  
  
James comes in and says: How is she?  
  
Terrence: Siernna’s got a nasty cough from a congested chest, an infected sore throat and a high fever. I gave her what I had in my bag and when we get back I'm drawing blood from her to run labs on.  
  
James: Did you find out who she is?  
  
Terrence nods and says: Sierrna Elsa Rei-Anne Caitlin Sakura Crystal Cley. Rei-Anne's future daughter. Apparently, Rei-Anne will be healthy enough to make Crystal and I grandparents in the future.  
  
Pike comes flying in only to have to slam on the breaks saying: Whoa!  
  
Terrence puts himself between his brother and future grand daughter's bed saying: Oh no you don't! No flying hugs. I just got her to sleep! Leave your future great niece alone.  
  
Pike: Party pooper! We were gonna have a party.  
  
Terrence: Maybe so but Siernna's not feeling well and is having a hard enough time breathing as it is and doesn't need you squeezing her airways even more than they are now with the congestion. No, no parties until she's been cleared! (Opens Siernna's cooler and pulls out a frozen cloth that he lays over her forehead and says) That ought to make sleeping a whole lot easier.  
  
Pike heaves a sigh saying: Siernna Elsa Rei-Anne Caitlin Sakura Crystal Cley? Rei-Anne's her future mother?  
  
Terrence: Apparently so. Before I go, I'd best leave a monitor near by so I can hear if she needs bronchitis medication to open her airways. (Reaches into his bag to pull out a monitor he turns on and leaves on the ledge beside Siernna's beside then heads for the door followed by James and Pike then turns off the light, closes the door says)As for now, I'd like go where ever Julie and Mimic are in case they wake up looking for me.  
  
James nods saying: Yeah sure no problem, this camper's a guardian realm gem a quadruple decked camper. You, Mimic and Julie have the entire second level and the rest of us are up on the third and fourth floor.  
  
Terrence: Is there any way to move Sierrna upstairs with me, Mimic and Julie? That way I can keep an eye on her instead of running up and down stairs all night.  
  
James nods and says: Yeah sure no problem, that makes more sense then leaving her where she is. Alex can take care of that. The second floor has three beds. (Notices Alex was gone and says) Guess he's taking care of moving Siernna up to the second level and into the third bed.

Upstairs Second level

  
Alex watches as Sierrna settled into the extra bed and hangs her family picture back up then sets her bag in the cubby beside her bed, closes the curtains and turns off the overhead light to allow her to fall back asleep then heads over to the bigger of the three beds and ensures everything he had brought up belonging to Terrence was put away in the cubby and the food and medicine needing to be kept cool were put into the small fridge to keep from spoiling and set up his files and cell phone on the table in the middle of the room then ensured the two little girls and pup sharing the over head bed were covered with an extra blanket then headed back downstairs  
  
James notices Alex had come back downstairs and says: Everything all ready up there?  
  
Alex: Yep, Siernna’s back in bed where she belongs, Julie, Mimic and Skippy are still sound asleep and everything you brought with you is upstairs waiting for you along with things to keep your mind occupied until you get back home. So we should turn in for the night and at least get SOME rest before we get back home.  
  
Terrence: That would be nice, that way I can keep an eye on Julie, Mimic and Sierra. As for me, I've got mail I need to read in private.  
  
Pike: I'll take Siernna’s old room for the night. (Heads off towards the room Sierrna had been in before being moved up to the second floor, shuts the door, turns off the light and crashes onto the bed for the night)  
  
Terrence is promptly shown to the second level that had been set aside for his privacy, shut the door and walked over to the bed where he sat down removing the letter from his lab coat pocket thinking) Well, I'll never know what's written until I open the envelope and take out the letter to read it. Well here goes nothing! (Turns the envelope over and opens it removing the letter and sets the envelope aside to read the unfolded letter)  
  
Dear Terry  
By the time you get this it'll have been six years in your world and about two years in my peaceful world since I left to do research on the girl who is with you now. By now you and Pike are dying of curiosity as to who this stray girl is, well go back and say hello to Rei-Anne's future daughter.  
Yes you're reading right, Siernna's Rei-Anne and Byron's ONLY daughter, after her comes as Siernna calls him 'the dimbit sugar junkie' known as Digger, he who would rather eat candy all day then eat a decent meal. That kid has had more cavities in eight years then his sister's had in her thirteen years of life maybe it's because she sticks a thing called a tooth brush with a glob of stuff called tooth paste into her mouth after every meal and does something foregein to Digger called brushing her teeth, something Rei-Anne's fed up with him NOT doing. Seven hundred dollars worth of cavity fillings so far and he's still got six more to get filled and he's only eight years old!  
Siernna doesn't know you or Crystal. You may remember a criminal with a prosthetic hand named Leon Carver 'The Killer' Tyverson, he somehow broke out of his prison cell, tracked you down and well lets just say Siernna doesn't know you period.  
By the time Siernna's born, you and Crystal are dead and buried, the only thing that she has to know what you looked like are the memorial pictures, some of which I'm not in for various reasons that we'll not get into in this letter. If you're curious as to why Siernnna doesn't know you, I'll let her tell you that way I can't get into any trouble with the future Rei-Anne for telling the past you what happens.  
Will I be returning to your current time stream any time soon? I don't know. Am I going to come back? I don't know honestly, it's peaceful here and I sleep better at night.  
Hope to see you soon, but probably won't due to the fact that I've picked up a rather nasty virus and time travelling isn't safe right now.  
Sierra  
(rereads the last part of the letter, and picks up Caitlin's lab results and reviews them noting her vitamin levels were low then picks up the cell phone that was left for him and dials Vinnie's pre-programmed phone number then waits for it to ring three times until Vinnie's voice came over the air)  
  
Vinnie jumps over the couch, grabs his cell phone off the coffee table, swipes the green bar to the right to answer it saying: Hello?  
  
Terrence: Vinnie, it's Terrence  
  
Vinnie: Yeah I gathered that from my caller ID, what's up? Problems with Katie-bug's blood work again?  
  
Terrence: No, her last round of labs showed marked improvement Vinnie. The cocktail of medication I had her on seemed to have made a dent in whatever Katie had come down with. (Reads Crystal's note and says) Though I want her to start taking children's vitamins, her vitamin levels are low. There's Flintstone’s Vitamins that are hard and there's chewable vitamins for kids out there, just one a day then Crystal wants to repeat her labs and see if this bug has beat a hasty retreat.  
  
Vinnie: Katie's been fighting off whatever's going around again this time and is trying to stay away from her friends that don't know enough to stay home when they're sick. Flintstones Chewable Vitamins huh? I'll get her started as soon as I can. Charlotte was on them at her age, she'll know what to look for.  
  
Terrence: You don't want to know what I've been subjected to over the last six years , it would boggle your mind. I'm still trying to process everything that happened to me, some of which I'd rather forget ever happened as it was very unpleasant and left me in a place that is very unfamiliar to me but to those who've had it done to them it's a very familiar place.  
  
Vinnie: Anal penetration with a foregin object for days on end followed by penile examination for days on end followed by more sedation and sexual exploration by the assailant?  
  
Terrence shudders and says: That and shock collar treatments every time I tried to get away.  
  
Vinnie: Ouch, I wouldn't put one of those on the dog.  
  
Terrence: Somewhere along the line, they brought two little girls and a dog to the house.  
  
Vinnie: Two little girls? Hang on a minute, I got a missing child message saved on my phone somewhere. If it didn't disappear off to Oz. (Opens a message he'd saved that had a picture attached of the two missing little girls then opens the messaging app on his phone and sends Terrence the saved missing poster saying) If I paid enough attention to how Charlotte taught me to do this then you ought to have the picture of a missing girls and puppy.  
  
Terrence hears a beeping and opens the attachment and nearly drops his phone saying: Those are the little girls that attached themselves to me from day one of year two!

Vinnie: Then one's Cadge and Anna's little girl Holly and the other is Marshall and Natasha's little girl Noelle. Marshall's ex-nanny took off with Noelle two years ago shortly after her first birthday. Nessa decided that she couldn't BEAR to be without Noelle so she ran off with her. Marshall and Melody will be glad to get her back. Cadge's ex-nanny also took off with his kid when his back was turned. What color's her hair? Last time Marshall seen Holly she had honey blonde hair.  
  
Terrence: They were calling Holly Julie-Anna, the pup Skippy and Noelle Mimic because she'd only mimic what they said back to them. Holly still has her honey blonde hair, brown fur and blue eyes.  
  
Vinnie cracks up saying: That's Nessa for you, she gets offended very easily because she's from money and believes the world revolves around her daddy. Nessa doesn't care if she takes someone else's kid with her as long as she gets what she wants and that's to play mommy to two little girls who have mothers who are on other bases right now finishing the packing and moving. The kid's name's not Julie Anna! It's Holly! That poor dog's not named Skippy, Holly named him Snoopy because of his black ears, the spot on his back and his black tail that reminded her of Charlie Brown's Beagle Snoopy. You'd best hang up with me and call Cadge ASAP! That's his baby he's been worried sick about. Besides I hear Harley hollering for me to finish the last fifty things on the list before the sun goes down. Cadge's number's on the bottom of the flyer, if anyone can get In touch with Marshall it's his brother.  
  
Terrence hears Harley hollering for Vinnie and says: Your day's not done yet is it? Best let you go then so I can get in touch with Cadge and let him know Holly's safe.  
  
Vinnie: Nope my day's not done yet. (Hangs up and goes back to his ever growing list of chores needing to be done)

Terrence hangs up on his end then dials Cadge's number waiting for him to answer  
  
Cadge grabs his cell phone off the kitchen table and says: Hello?  
  
Terrence: Hey Cadge  
  
Cadge recognizes the voice but not the caller ID and says: Dammit Terry are you alright?  
  
Terrence: Just fine  
  
Cadge: Why're you calling me at this hour of the night other than to let me know you're alright?  
  
Terrence: I've a small someone soundly sleeping in the bed above me that belongs to you and one that belongs to Marshall.  
  
Cadge sinks into his chair and heaves a sigh of relief saying: You've found Holly and Snoopy? WHERE?! No freaking way! Where the hell did you find Noelle?  
  
Terrence: They were brought to the house during the second year I was there. Holly was being called Julianna and Snoopy was being called Skippy and Noelle was being called Mimic because she'd only mimic what they said to her. From what they said they put her age at three years older than she is and they put Noelle at age twelve.  
  
Cadge heaves a sigh of relief saying: Is Holly awake? I highly doubt Holly's vocabulary and speech pattern could put her at twelve years old. My kid just turned three! Stop rushing the biological clock! I don’t want her growing up that fast! Let her enjoy childhood while she's still care free! Noelle's four years old, she turns five next Friday which will make Marshall a happy camper to have her back.  
  
Terrence turns around in his chair and takes a peek up at the second bunk and says: Nope sorry, out like a light. Holly and Noelle came to me well past their bedtime and only had a brief nap.  
  
Cadge heave a sigh of relief and says: At least they're alright and not hurt. Just let her sleep and I'll swing by when ever you get home and pick her up. I can’t believe Shawnna would go that far after I let her go! Holly's no where near six. Poor kid just turned three and starts kindergarten next term and I go back to work training the kids under Stoker again full time while she's away at all day kindergarten. If you've got somethin to write on and with, I can give you Marshall's number so you can tell him his kid's alright.  
  
Terrence snickers saying: Now remember no crying when she disappears into the crowd of kindergarteners. (Grabs a pen and paper saying) Go ahead tell me Marshall's number.  
  
Cadge gives Terrence Marshall's number saying: Why would I cry? It's Snoopy I worry about. He's never been without Holly or without someone there to ensure he's alright. He's home right now because of Sierra being sick.  
  
Terrence: Ever hear of Puppygarten?  
  
Cadge: Puppygarten? Kindergarten for puppies? Sounds interesting enough for me to check out with Snoopy while Holly's in Kindergarten. It's about the right time for him to start socializing with other puppies his age. It'll be a nice change for Snoopy instead of being locked in his crate all day until I get home with Holly, he can be playing with other puppies his age, be fed, have water at his disposal and learning everything he needs to know about being a good polite puppy for Holly. From the flyer I got it says it starts the same time Kindergarten starts and ends around the same time meaning I can easily pick up Holly then go get Snoopy from puppygarten, take 'em home, feed 'em lunch, let 'em nap a while then take Snoopy back to Puppygarten and Holly to kindergarten and pick 'em up at three.  
  
Terrence: Well there's the answer to your conundrum, drop Snoopy off at Puppygarten then drop Noelle off at Kindergarten and go to work until noon then pick up Noelle then boot off and pick up Snoopy from Puppygarten take 'em home, give 'em lunch, let 'em nap for a bit then drop Snoopy back off for the afternoon portion of puppygarten and  
Noelle back off for the afternoon portion of kindergarten. As for me right now, I'd best hang up, call Marshall and let him know Holly's safe and on her way back to him.  
  
Cadge: Yeah you'd better call Marshall asap! He's worried sick about Noelle! As for me, I'd best go get Holly ’s bedroom ready for her return, I'll come get her as soon as you get home. (Hangs up with Terrence and goes about getting Holly's room ready for her safe return)  
  
Terrence dials the number he'd been given and after four rings he hears a rather tired Marshall answer and says: Hey sorry Marshall, did I wake you?  
  
Marshall sits up in bed and says: Hmm? Oh, Yeah, I was asleep. What's up?  
  
Terrence looks up and sees Noelle peeking down and says: Someone here that wants to talk to you.  
  
Marshall: Talk to me? Who?  
  
Terrence hands Noelle the phone saying: Talk to your dad.  
  
Noelle takes the phone and sits up saying in a trembling voice: Daddy?  
  
Marshall fully wakes up and says: Noelle?! Oh dear god are you alright hon?!  
  
Noelle: I'm fine  
  
Marshall heaves a relieved sigh and says: Oh thank god! Did you get your insulin shot then eat?  
  
Noelle: Yeah  
  
Marshall narrows his eyes so he could glances at his clock and say: It's after two in the morning way past your bedtime little lady, you give uncle Terry back the phone and get back to sleep! I'll come get you as soon as uncle Cadge stops by on his way to pick up Holly and Snoopy! Daddy has to get up and get dressed before he goes anywhere. I'll see you in a couple of hours. (Hears Holly give Terrence back the phone and says) Where the hell did you find Noelle?! When Nessa left my old place year, she took Holly with her saying she was taking her back to my place to help her finish packing the last of her room, after that I never seen her again.  
  
Terrence: They brought Noelle to the house last year calling her Mimic because she'd only repeat what they said back to them. They kept asking her name and she'd mimic the question back so they called her Mimic and aged her at ten or eleven.  
  
Marshall: TEN OR ELEVEN? Noelle's not that old yet! She'll be five in two weeks! How soon until you get back home?!  
  
Terrence: I should be home before or after three, you can come pick up at my place since I'll take her, Holly, Snoopy and one other one back to my place.

Marshall flings back his covers and swings his legs over the side of the bed putting his bare feet on the floor and switches his bedside lamp on saying: Then I'd best get up. get dressed and be on my way to your place if I wanna get there at the same time as Cadge does. Thanks so much for taking care of Noelle for me!  
  
Terrence: Any time Marshall. I'll let you go so you can get up and get dressed. (Hangs up with Marshall and switches spots from the chair in front of Siernna's bed to the chair on the south side of the table in full view of the two occupied beds and went about reviewing Sierra's past labs trying to figure out what kind of infection she was fighting)  
  
Ten minutes into reviewing Sierra's file and with all three girls still asleep, Terrence began to feel uncomfortable in the running shoes, jeans and sailor shirt and decided to get up, grab his satchel off his bed and headed into the washroom to change into the med ward clothes and boots Crystal had left behind the previous afternoon and came out from the washroom feeling more comfortable in his usual clothes, walked over to his bed and opened his cubby to set the satchel inside, closed the door and went back to the table, sat down and felt more focused then he had in the strange clothes.)

  
Several hours later

  
Alex comes up and knocks on Terry's partially open door and says: Yo, we're almost home best pack everything up and get ready! When did you change your clothes?  
  
Terrence looks up from Sierra's latest round of blood work and says while stretching: Hmm? Already? A couple hours ago, I couldn't focus on anything.  
  
Alex: Yeah we'll be pullin into base in a half hour.  
  
Terrence stands up and begins collecting the scattered files until he had them all in a neat pile that he put into the brief case that had been provided, then went about waking Holly and Noelle saying: C'mon girls up and at 'em dress warmly, we'll be back at base soon. (Watches as Noelle and Holly sat up, stretched and pulled on their coats and shoes then leans down, parts the curtains on Siernna's bunk and gently shakes Siernna awake saying) Siernna, c'mon time to get up and dress warm. We'll be home soon. Slip on a warm sweater and a pair of shoes and ensure you have everything packed alright? Good, now up and at 'em.  
  
Siernna wakes, sits up, shoves her blankets back, reaches above her head and pulls down her family portrait that she puts in her back pack, sits up, opens her fridge and empties the contents into the wheeled cooler beside her bed until it was emptied, then slipped her feet into her shoes and pulled on her warm jacket, slowly stood up and grabbed her hat and back pack then followed Terrence down to the main level of the camper.

  
A half hour later

  
Alex calls out: Hey we're home! Pack up and head out we're being expected.  
  
Terrence heads downstairs with two half awake little girls, one puppy and one sick teenager who all sat at the table while he headed towards the front of the camper and speaks with Alex saying: If you could possibly get me as close to the elevator as you can as the hangar is rather chilly it would make it a whole lot easier on Noelle, Holly and Siernna since Snoopy gets carried by Holly he doesn't have to worry about cold paws, I'd appreciate it more than I can say Alex.  
  
Alex nods and says: No problem. (Picks up his two way radio and speaks directly to Carbine saying) Terrence wants to go straight home to be by Crystal's side can you ensure his way is clear? (Listens to the reply and he continues his journey to the hangar's hidden passageway's elevator to the living quarters level saying) What're you gonna do about  
Siernna, Noelle, Snoopy and Holly?  
  
Terrence heads over to the table where all three girls had sat down and fallen asleep and wakes each one saying: Siernna, Noelle, Holly, girls wakie wakie, we're home and just a short trip to my place. (opens the door of the camper, nods then leaves saying) I have no choice, I'll have to take them home with me until Cadge comes for Noelle and Snoopy and Marshall for Holly in the morning. (Shuts the camper door and heads over to the passageway elevator with Sierra, Noelle, Holly and Snoopy entering the elevator behind him as he shut the doors then hits the sixth floor button then feels as they're whisked up to the sixth floor then watches as the doors opened in front of his living quarters and takes out his key card only to have little Caitie open the door for him and give him a tight hug that he picks her up to return saying as he put her down) What in the name of Ares are you doing up past your bedtime little lady? It's beyond time for you to be in bed sleeping, not still up! (Walks in then waits as Siernna carrying Holly in her arms and pulling the cooler behind her while Noelle held onto the handle to keep up, scooted in then shuts his door, locks it and with little Caitie holding onto his fingers, enters the living room, sends her off to the chair where Tyson sat then heads over to the couch where Crystal was laying, drops to his knees and says) Hey, I'm home hon, how're things going?  
  
Crystal opens her teal blue eyes and says: Fine, nothing to worry about. The fever fizzled out over time and I'm just a bit tired from cleaning.  
  
Terrence: It's gone? The fever's gone already? I don't get it! You were so hot when I last held you I was sure it'd take a few days to fizzle out.  
  
Crystal smiles and says: No, I guess its one of those fevers that shows up for a while and after it wears it's welcome out it leaves. Had them all the time when I was a kid, nothing to worry about. (Looks at her kids who were exhausted and says) I think it's high time for you guys all to get to bed and get some well deserved sleep. It's past your bedtime anyways, so upstairs and into bed with the lot of you. The rest of you older ones have school in the morning so you have to be up early and I'm not going to be in any shape to be begging and pleading with you to get up and get ready for school. (Notices an unfamiliar face with a sleeping child in her arms and says) Where did you find Holly and Snoopy? Cadge is coming in the morning for them! Noelle? Where'd you find her? Marshall's also coming in the morning for her!  
  
Terrence hears a rapid knocking the door and says: Tyson would you see who it is please?  
  
Tyson stands up, sets Callie down in his spot, walks over to the door and opens it saying: Oh hi uncle Cadge c'mon in. What's up?  
  
Cadge catches his breath and steps inside his brother in law's quarters saying: I came for Holly and Snoopy.  
  
Siernna comes out into the hall saying to the semi-awake child: Hey someone's here to take you back home again.  
  
Cadge sees his daughter in Siernna's arms and walks over to her saying: Holly!  
  
Holly wakes up and leans towards her dad saying: Daddy!  
  
Cadge lifts Holly out of Siernna's arms into his own saying to Terrence who'd come into the hall: Thanks so much for looking after her for me! I'd best get Holly and Snoopy home and get Holly into her jammies then into bed for the night. Does she have anything that I need to take home with me?

Siernna hands Cadge the my little pony back pack and wheeled suit case saying: Just Snoopy, her suit case and back pack. The suit case has all her clothes and her teddy bear is in the back pack.  
  
Cadge takes Holly's back pack and wheeled suit case from Siernna saying: Thanks so much! It's a bloody relief to have her back home safely! Her sitter had no business running off with her. (Speaks to Holly saying) Lets get you home, into your jammies, have a bedtime snack, brush your teeth, climb into your own bed, have a bedtime story then off to dream land in your own safe room. Mommy's on her way to our new home and should be there by the time you come home from the morning portion of Kindergarten. (Pulls out Snoopy's collar and fastens it around his neck then attaches the leash to it saying) Here we go Snoopy, your jingles are back around your neck, now shall we get your mommy home and into bed for the night? (Turns and leaves out the still open door pulling it closed behind him heading off to his quarters to put Noelle to bed for the night)  
  
Tyson hears another knock at the door and opens it saying: Noelle your dad's here hon.  
  
Noelle slips off the couch, grabs her bag and heads out into the hall to head home with her dad  
  
Marshall steps inside his sister's place and says: I'm gonna take Noelle home so she can have a bath and get into bed to get some sleep before school in the morning. Then by the time she gets home from school, someone will be there waiting with her after school snack. (Realizes Noelle was looking for Sierra and Bridgit and says) Sorry bumpkin, they're at home. Bridgit has school in the morning and Sierra doesn't feel well.  
  
Terrence nods saying: Alright, see you later. Natasha's that close already?  
  
Marshall heaves a relieved sigh and says: Yeah, she called right after you did and said her convoy was going through the night with relief drivers and will be here by the time Noelle gets home from after school activities. I came ahead of her to get Noelle settled into a routine and let her adjust to a new school and make new friends and potentially find a sitter. Thought my old one was fine but now I know she's not all there in the head after this stunt. Ready to go home kiddo? I'll get you from school a bit early and we'll finish getting things ready for you know who's arrival alright?! Or do you want to spend the day at home sleeping??  
  
Noelle: Yeah. Can I stay home one day and just sleep?  
  
Marshall: What ever you want, it is late and there's no sense in you going to bed for a few hours only to get back up again and be tired the entire day. Besides, I have to stay home with Sierra who is sleeping and sick so you're going to have to stay quiet and let big sister sleep so her medicine can do it's job and make her all better. (Crouches down and allows Noelle to climb up on his back so he could carry her home piggy back style)  
  
Terrence shuts the door behind Marshall after he'd left then turns and says: As for the rest of you, it's past three a.m., well past time for a good chunk of you to have been in bed. So it's time for everyone to be heading upstairs. Sakura? Could you show Siernna where she'll be staying?  
  
Sakura slowly stands up with a sleeping Max and Jarred in her arms saying: Yeah sure, come with me and you'll see where you'll sleep. (Heads upstairs with Sierra behind her carrying her bag and stops saying) I just have to put Max and Jarred here to bed, I'll be right back out! (Heads into Max and Jarred's room and puts Max to bed ensuring to snuggle his teddy bear in his arms then tucks his reversible Spiderman comforter up around his throat then heads around to the other bed and lays Jarred in it, snuggles his bear in his arms then tucks his reversible Superman comforter up around his throat, dims the touch lamp and straightens up quietly slipping out of the room and into the hall saying) Shh and follow me down the hall. The room across the hall from here is my parents room and we're not allowed in there. (Heads down the hall to her room and stopped outside an empty bedroom across the hall saying) This is where you'll be sleeping, it belonged at one time to a sister Tyson and I lost. It's been locked ever since she disappeared and across the hall from Tyson is our brother Bryce's old bedroom, he too disappeared the same time Razz vanished. (Stands on tiptoe and grabs the key off the top of the door frame and inserts it into the door knob's lock and unlocked it then opened the door and turned on the light saying sadly) All anyone in this family wants is to have Razz and Bryce back home safely. But for now, you can sleep in there, I highly doubt Razz would mind you sleeping in one of her beds seeing as she's got queen size bunk beds in her room so you can choose either top bunk or bottom bunk.  
  
Siernna enters the room of her mother and says in a tired voice: Nice rare Holly Hobbie Decorations in here. Reminds me of my own room back home when it's not being destroyed by Digger during one of his sugar rushes. (Notices Sakura had closed her door and gone to her own room then turns off the overhead light, reaches into her sweater coat pocket for her pocket light that she used to find her way to the bed then goes over to the desk and hangs her bag on the hook on the side of the desk, opens it to remove her family portrait that she sat on the night shelf beside the bed, then takes her sweater coat off hanging it up on the hooks on the wall then climbs the ladder to the top bunk where she folds back the queen sized Holly Hobbie comforter, sat on the bed, took her shoes off, dropped them on the floor, then swung her legs over the edge of the bed, pulled her covers up to her waist and switched off her pocket light then laying her head down on the cool pillows, she quickly fell back asleep allowing the medication in her system to continue working)

  
Meanwhile downstairs in the living room

  
Terrence stands up and hugs each of his kids as they file out of the living room and upstairs to bed then says to Crystal: Here love, let me help you up so you and I can go upstairs and go to bed for the night. I'm exhausted! (Notices little Caitie and Callie were sound asleep in the chair and says to Tyson) Hold a minute, someone didn't go up to bed yet. Cm'on girls, Tyson's gonna take you upstairs and put you to bed for the night. It's past your bedtime.  
  
Tyson scoops up his two little sisters and heads out the living room door and up the stairs to the girls room where he deposited each girl in her own bed ensuring their bears were in their arms, blankets up around their throats and their light was dimmed then headed out of their room and down the hall to his own bedroom where he flopped into bed not bothering to turn off his lamp, close his door or cover up and fell straight asleep exhausted from his long day.

Downstairs in Living Room

Terrence: Can you handle getting up on your own?  
  
Crystal slowly manages to get into a sitting position then slowly stood up and said: Yeah I'm fine on my own.  
  
Terrence nods and says: Thank you for all the food you secretly brought me. Every last bit of it was delicious. Especially the lasagnes! I ate the smallest one and split the larger one with Pike and his friends who begged me to let them have the rest of it for their supper. Cm'on hon, lets go on upstairs so you can go to bed and be comfortable. (Walks at a reasonable pace so that Crystal could keep up with him and they both carefully walk up the stairs to their room where he helps Crystal into bed saying) Maybe we should move our room downstairs that way we can ensure nothing will happen to the medication and drugs we have in the medical closet as soon as you're back on your feet.  
  
Crystal sits on her bed then slips under the covers laying back against the pillows and says: It WOULD make more sense for us to be in that room in control of the drugs that are in the back medical closet instead of upstairs out of reach.  
  
Terrence: As for now, I'm gonna go check on Tyson and ensure he's covered up, last thing we need is for him to get sick and so close to his surgery date. (Leaves his room and goes down the hall to Tyson's room where he walks in, goes over to his sleigh bed with reversible red and black skate board printed covers, pulls them up and around his throat to keep him warm, kisses Tyson's raven black hair, shuts off Tyson's light and leaves the room closing the door behind him, went down the hall to Sakura's room to find her door open, lamp still on and her sacked out in her canopy bed with her Hamtaro printed blankets shoved to the foot of the bed, pulls them up over Sakura and tucks them around her throat and kisses the side of her raven black hair then turns her light off and leaves shutting her door behind him and headed back to his room where he said to Crystal) Well, Tyson's in bed, sound asleep as is Sakura and I covered them up to ensure they don't get sick again, so I'm gonna go and have myself a nice long hot shower before I join you in bed love, will you be alright with out me?  
  
Crystal smiles and says: I've been alright since the day you disappeared.  
  
Terrence removes his pack, opens it and starts removing his clothes followed by the food that was still on the bottom of the bag then removes his toiletries from the hidden compartment, opens his drawer and puts his clean clothes in it and pulls out a pair of his most comfortable pajamas then heads into the bathroom where he has a nice warm shower and gets cleaned up.  
  
After twenty minutes, he shut off the water, got out of the step in shower, dried himself off, got dressed then went and pre-rinsed then brushed his teeth and rinsed his mouth out, put his toiletries away in the spacious medicine cabinet and turning off the bathroom light, he went into the bedroom, lifted his side of the covers, sat on the edge of his comfortable bed then laid down swinging his body all the way under the covers letting them fall over top of him, reached over to turn off the light and kissed Crystal saying: Wake me if Jarred or Max need me alright?  
  
Crystal smiles, nestles close to Terrence, lays her head on his chest and sleepily says: Mmmhmm, I will don't worry your exhausted head over it. Now good night and sweet dreams.  
  
Terrence sleepily: Mmmhmm

  
4:00 a.m

  
Crystal awakens, gets up to go to the bathroom, then comes out and goes across the hall to check on Caitlin and Callie then heads to the room next door and checks on Max and Jarred only to find them both sound asleep and goes back to her room where she found Terrence coming out of the bathroom on his way back to bed.  
Terrence sees Crystal coming back in to their room and groggily says: Are they alright?  
  
Crystal climbs back into bed saying: Yeah still asleep not a peep out of either of them. Maybe they're adjusting to the thought of sleeping in their own room with the lights dimmed. Pretty soon they'll hopefully be able to sleep without the lights on at night. The boys are fine, sound asleep for the night, they've a big afternoon ahead of them today as they start Magic Kindergarten.  
  
Terrence: It would be nice for them to be able to sleep without the light on at night. Soon they'll be going to school full time in first grade, where did the time go?  
  
Crystal: Hmm time flies before you know it, Tyson and Sakura will be off on their own with kids of their own.  
  
Terrence heave a sigh and says: How do you feel about the title grandma?  
  
Crystal wakes up then sits up immediately regretting it as the room started to spin forcing her to lay back saying: What hit you in the head? No matter where she is, none of my girls had better not be expecting any time soon!  
  
Terrence: I'm talking far far into the future.  
  
Crystal realizes what she'd felt six years ago and says: You have GOT to be kidding me! Which of our kids does she belong to?  
  
Terrence lays back against his pillows and says: Rei-Anne at age twenty one.  
  
Crystal heaves a relieved sigh and says: Oh thank god she's twenty one! You had me worried! Wait! You mean that girl is Rei-Anne's future daughter?! She's a mirror image of her! I should've recognized it! It'd be nice if she could tell us where Rei-Anne and Bryce are so we can bring them both home.  
  
Terrence: I doubt Siernna will be able to think straight for a few more days. I hated to do it but I had to wake her to bring her home with Noelle and Holly. She's been running a high temp with a congested chest so I gave her a decongestant, a fever reducer and antibiotics that I only had two of. I hope nothing goes wrong after moving her here.  
  
Crystal heaves a sigh and settles back down and falls back asleep for the remainder of the night  
  
Terrence quietly thinks: I know damned well she’s bluffing when she says her fever’s gone! Her fever isn’t gone no matter what she says! It’s high time I checked and found out the truth that she’s not telling me. (Reaches into the nightstand on his side of the bed and pulls out the digital thermometer and puts a tip on the end then turns it on and slides it into Crystal’s ear canal careful not to wake her then sees the red light go to green and removes it to read the temperature and heaves a sigh thinking) _Crystal, Crystal, Crystal! Crystal, sweetheart I know it was rough while I was gone but ignoring your body’s cries that it’s battling something, won’t make you better! You’re staying in bed and since I have someone filling my shoes for a while, I’ll be staying home to look after and ensure you don’t get up out of bed! Not with a fever of 103!_ (Puts the thermometer away in the drawer and shuts off his lamp and instantly falls asleep until his alarm was about to go off at 6:30 A.M. until he quickly shut it off preferring to leave Crystal in dream land and looks at her thinking) _Hmm poor thing not many people had enough time to stop their lives and help Crystal out while she tried to get some rest._ (Gets up out of bed then heads into the bathroom to get dressed and ensured the elder kids were up and getting ready for school.)  
  
After ensuring everyone who needed to be up was up, Terrence went downstairs and started getting lunches ready, waking the elder children up to get them ready for school, checking homework to ensure it had been completed, reminders of school outings that had been written on the reminder board and making breakfast then putting lunches in back packs before they went out the door and signing permission slips for field trips to earth’s museums and got his hugs good bye and shut the door as the last child left for school and went about putting dishes in the dishwasher and feeding the animals then checked the medicine walk in closet to see what he had in terms of fever reducers.  
  
Terrence grabs the key to the Medicine Closet from off it's latch hook on the wall beside the fridge and unlocks and opens the door then walks in looking to the left and right for anything to reduce a fever then notices a box of Advil Fever Reducer and an unexpected find a box of Advil Children's Fever Reducer and pulls them out of the Cabinet then shuts and locks the door muttering: Just what I've been hoping I had! This’ll bring down Crystal’s fever. I’d give her Tylenol Fever Reducer but she can’t stomach Tylenol so I guess she’ll just have to take two table spoons of this every four hours until her fever is gone. I'd forgotten I had Children's fever reducer! This ought to bring down Siernna's fever. (Leaves the medicine closet, shuts then locks the door, hangs the key back on the hook beside the fridge then heads up to his bedroom where he went over to the bed and said) Crystal, wake up sweetie. I’ve got something for your fever that’ll make you feel better.  
  
Crystal opens her groggy teal blue eyes, sits up and says: Huh? It came back?  
  
Terrence opens the Tylenol box and pulls out the bottle of Fever Reducer then twists open the cap, set it aside then carefully and steadily poured out an even two table spoons of syrup into the dosing cup and said: It came back with a vengeance last night. I checked and it’s sitting at 103. Take this, it’ll reduce your fever this is one of two spoonful’s you’ll get every four hours until your fever has gone. (Takes the dosing cup from Crystal and sets it down on the night stand then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a red band aid, unwraps it then removed the protective covering and put one on her glass saying) From here on out anything you eat off of and drink out of will have a mark on it to signal others not to eat or drink from the dishes. I’ll go down and make you something to eat, as for now lay down and get some rest ok? Love you  
  
Crystal lays back and easily falls back into her comfortable sleep  
  
Terrence tucks the covers up around her throat and brushes her bangs out of her eyes then gets up and goes down the hall into Siernna's room, turned on her dimming lights, walked over to her bed and gently wakes her saying to the half awake girl: Time for your morning dose of medicine. For now I'll give you two more table spoons of fever reducer and let you get back to sleep. (Opens the box and pulls out the bottle removing the protective plastic and dosing cup, opens the cap of the bottle then picking up the dosing cup he poured the fever reducer until it was at the two table spoon mark, recaps the fever reducer, sat it on the side table and handed Siernna the cup saying) Here take this and go back to sleep. I don't have much in medical storage so I'll have to go stock up later on. (Watches as Siernna sat up and took the dosing cup full of fever reducer drained the fluid and handed him back the cup and says) Now lay down and go back to sleep. Later on I'll be bringing you in some heavy duty medication to help fight that growing infection you have going on, then I'm drawing blood to find out what it is you have! (Quietly leaves Siernna's bedroom,closing the door behind him and heads downstairs to the living room saying) Alright what does everyone want for breakfast?  
  
Caitlin: Jarred and I wants rainbows and brown cow to dwink  
  
Max: Callie and I wants our snaps crackles and pops and Sunshine to dwink.  
  
Terrence: Alright Fruit Loops and brown cow er chocolate milk to dwink-I mean drink for Caitie and Jarred and Max and Callie get Rice Krispies and Sunny D to drink and you're all getting a cup of lactose free yogurt and your usual dishes to eat and drink out of. (Opens the cupboard and pulls out all the bowls and cups then opens the drawer and pulls out the matching spoons to go with the bowls and cups then opens the cereal pantry and pulls out the containers with Rice Krispies and Fruit Loops in it, opens then pours equal amounts into all two bowls then puts the container back, opens the Shreddies and pours equal amounts into Max and Callie's bowls, closes the lid to the container and opens the fridge for the milk, chocolate milk, yogurt, berries and Sunny D jug, pours milk over the cereal then pours juice into Callie and Max's cups, puts the juice back in the fridge and grabs the chocolate milk, removing the cap and filling Jarred and Caitlin's glasses to just below the rim then recaps and puts away the chocolate milk, and grabs four more bowls and fills them up with mixed fruit pouring milk over the fruit and finally pulls out a tray and loads everything onto it and carries it into the living room saying) Okey here you go, here’s breakfast. Caitlin and Jarred, your Fruit Loops, Lactose Free Chocolate Milk, Lactose Free Raspberry Yogurt, and berries with Splenda and Lactose Free milk, Callie and Max here's your Rice Krispies, Orange Juice, Lactose Free Blue Berry Yogurt and berries with Lactose Free milk. Mom wants you guys to start having fruit and milk with your cereal and juice from now on so you’ll get a bowl of fruits and milk with every meal including your bedtime snack. Now eat up while I take mom up her breakfast. (Goes back into the kitchen and with a red permanent waterproof marker he makes a red X on each of Crystal's dishes and puts red tape on the spoons then goes about making her some nice soft hot maple and brown sugar cereal in her favorite bowl she got for mother's day, with water in a red water glass, apple berry tea in the matching ceramic mug to go with her bowl, a cup of lactose free yogurt and berries in lactose free milk in a cherry blossom decorated bowl then loads up the tray and carefully takes it up to a soundly sleeping Crystal saying) Crystal hon, sit up. I’ve got your breakfast ready for you.  
  
Crystal opens her groggy teal blue eyes, sits up and says: Huh? Oh breakfast, right. What time is it?  
  
Terrence sets the tray over Crystals lap and says: Twenty after ten in the morning. Everyone’s gone, the little ones are watching cartoons and eating their breakfasts downstairs.  
  
Crystal slowly begins to eat her breakfast when their phone rang  
  
Terrence: Nuh-uh, I want you to stay in bed. I’ll get it downstairs, you eat. (Heads back downstairs and grabs the phone on the third ring and after a short conversation heads back upstairs to his room where he said) I’ll be back in a few minutes. I have to go to Earth and pick someone up who from the sounds of things has caught some kind of stomach bug. So you rest until I get back alright?  
  
Crystal nods and says: I’ll be alright until you get back. I have no plans on going anywhere until you get back and I’m feeling better.  
  
Terrence: Alright then, I shouldn’t be more than twenty minutes. (Drops a kiss on top of Crystal’s wheat blonde head and heads out the bedroom and to the transporter room where he was instantly transported to earth)  
  
A few minutes later Terrence arrived at St. Vincent’s High to pick up his son and daughter who had been sick to their stomachs with a stomach virus that was going around and they had caught.  
  
Terrence walks in the front doors and sees both Tyson and Sakura sitting on the bench outside the school's main entrance waiting for him and says: Both of you? Alright, come on guys, let’s get you home and into bed so you can both rest. Mom's home with whatever is going around. Be thankful this is your last day at this school! Once the new term starts, you'll be going to school back home!  
  
Sakura and Tyson both grab their school hats and bags then head off with their dad heading back to the Timberwolf house where they headed down to the sub basement with their dad.  
  
Once they had arrived on Mars they headed straight for their family quarters where Sakura and Tyson went straight to their own rooms, changed out of their school uniforms flopping them on the chairs in the corner of their separate rooms after pulling her dad’s old med ward shirt down over her head then pulled on a pair of old gym shorts, removed her expensive eye glasses putting them in their eye glass case that she sat on her night stand in front of her lamp and crawled into bed and waited for her dad to come in and give her something for her stomach.  
  
Terrence sticks his head in Sakura’s room and says: Oh good you’re in bed. (Walks over to her bed and sits down beside her and says) I don’t have much to give you for a stomach virus except some Antibiotics so I’ll start you on these until the virus has worked it’s way out of your system. (Gives Sakura two Antibiotic caplets and watched as she drained the entire glass of water then stands up saying as he tucked her covers up around her throat) You rest and I’ll make you up a batch of hot Chicken Noodle Soup for lunch later alright? You rest for now. (Kisses the top of Sakura’s raven black bangs then opens her nightstand drawer and pulls out the sick bell and says) If you want me, just ring the bell alright? I'm also taking the liberty of pulling you out of earth school and putting you in school here, that way you don't have to get up so early in the morning anymore.  
  
Sakura faintly: Alright. (falls into a deep sleep)  
  
Terrence turns off Sakura’s lamp and leaves her room and heads out into the hall to Tyson's room and finds him back in bed after throwing up, sits on his bed, turns the digital thermometer on and says: Here open and hold this, you look worse then your sister does right now. (Slips the digital thermometer under Tyson's tongue and waits until it beeped then removes it saying with a sigh) 107, you're staying in bed until this runs it's course. (Pulls out the last two antibiotic pills he had with him and says) I only have these two left right now, so take them and when I have a free moment I'll slip to the med ward and get more for you, Sierrna and your sister then all three of you will be starting these. After that I'm taking some blood to run labs on, I'm not convinced this is a 'brief' episode of the flu! (Hands Tyson the last two antibiotic pills and his water glass saying) Here take these for now and while the little ones are watching their videos, I'll slip out and get more medication for both you, Siernna and Sakura. Take them with all the water Tyson. (Watches as Tyson took the pills and drained his water glass then takes it and sets it on his night table and stands up saying) Lay down and get some rest. (Watches as Tyson laid back against his pillows and drifted off to sleep then pulled his covers up around his throat to keep him warm and Kisses the top of Tyson’s black bangs then opens his nightstand drawer and pulls out the sick bell and says) You want me? ring the bell alright? At the end of this month, you're going for that surgery. Because of the pain the growths are causing you and the rapid rate they're growing, Todd called and rescheduled the surgery. Instead of next month, it will be done at the end of this month, you'll be in the hospital for a total of two months, then you'll come home and continue resting. Todd will see you at the end of two weeks to do an ultrasound on you and see how things have healed in two weeks. You and Sakura are already enrolled in school here next term, that way you don't have to get up so early in the morning anymore and I can be nearby if you have an episode alright?  
  
Tyson faintly: Alright. (falls into a deep sleep)  
  
Terrence leaves Tyson's room turning off his light and heads downstairs to check on the little kids and found them watching a Care Bear Movie and decided to get out the Vicks digital thermometer to check Sakura’s temperature to see for himself if it was normal as the school nurse stated it was and heads back up to Sakura’s room, quietly opens the door that he left ajar then quietly slipped over to her bed noticing the red flush across her face and the fact that her covers were tousled meaning she’d gotten up to vomit then slipped the thermometer into her left ear and waited for a reading then removed it and checked it thinking: Normal my ass! This isn’t summer flu! This is a full blown case of Stomach Virus not Summer Flu or food poisoning ! I’m gonna have to hit the med ward and find the right combination of antibiotics to battle this nasty virus…eeeh what’d I give to Tawny when she had the Stomach Virus? Better consult my…..oh no, I can’t! Not from here! My laptop’s still in the Med Ward! (Leaves Sakura’s room and heads back to his own room and ran a brush through his hair then gathered up Crystal’s dirty dishes and took them downstairs, opened the dishwasher and sat them in the racks then shut the door and went to check on the younger kids who were still watching their Care Bears Movie and opened then slid out the door quietly shutting it behind him and headed down the hall towards the med ward until he finally arrived and slipped in through the study room doors causing Sierra to look up as he said) Oops sorry, didn't mean to disturb you. What're you working on? When did you get back home?  
  
Sierra: My latest graphic novel. A few hours ago, the earth weather finally cleared up enough for us to take off just before earth's dawn. Though dad and Radar came back through the guardian tunnel and got back before we did.  
  
Terrence: Shouldn't you be in class right now? (Recalls her infection and corrects himself saying) No scratch that, you're still too catchy! You should be at home in bed not up attending classes! Does your dad know your out of bed while on heavy medication?  
  
Sierra: Please tell that to Donovan, he insisted no sorry ordered me to get up, get dressed, gather up my school work, put it in my bag, eat and get my sorry tail end to class. I look healthy enough to him so I oughtta be attending classes instead of lounging about in bed all day like a slacker. No, all my classes are done. I've been trying to get as much shading and flat coloring done as I can before I fall asleep again.  
  
Terrence notices the elastic bandage around Sierra's right arm was undone and gently picking it up says: What happened to your arm? In no way are you healthy enough to be on your feet! Especially when taking medication that makes you drowsy enough to fall asleep! He should know enough to touch base with someone here before ordering you to get up out of bed and attend classes! You can easily spread your sick germs to countless others!  
  
Sierra heaves an annoyed sigh and says: Well he thinks he knows better than someone who went to medical school and has countless years of practicing under their belt. If you look healthy, sound healthy and eat normally, then you're damned well healthy enough to attend classes and stop lounging in bed taking pretend pills for a non-existent infection to get out of going to school. (Notices her arm and heaves a yawn saying)I'm so tired I slipped on something and apparently sprained my wrist or so says Sir Know It All Morgan. I haven't even had time to get to bed for some sleep.  
  
Terrence pulls up a chair beside Sierra, sits down, unwraps her elastic bandage until it was unraveled and sitting the elastic bandage on the table while he gently prodded it saying: My dear this is neither a sprain nor a twist, I've seen countless sprains and twists. If I'm not mistaken you busted it without knowing it. Come with me and I'll get your arm set and casted. C'mon and find a bed to hop up on and I'll go get casting materials and get that arm casted. (Heads towards the open shelving unit while Sierra went and found an empty bed that she sat on and waited for him to return with the casting materials)  
  
Trigger walks by and notices Sierra's wrist was unwrapped and in a position no arm should be in and says: Holy moley! What happened?!  
  
Terrence: Her wrist is broken, I was just about to numb it and re-break it so I can set it properly.  
  
Trigger heaves a sigh and says: Oh yeah! Now I remember! A while ago she slid and fell, came in here and the idiot on duty said it was just a minor sprain, wrapped her arm up and sent her on her way before her dad could get his mitts on her.  
  
Terrence: Marshall's looking for her? (Reaches into his left lab coat pocket and pulls out his cell phone, turns it on then inputs his lock code, opens his contacts and double taps Marshall's number until he heard Marshall on the line saying) You looking for someone that was sent back to class?!  
  
Marshall heaves a sigh of relief and says: Yes ! I've been looking for Sierra for awhile now! I was getting worried. She's not at Home in bed where she should be when she's this sick and contagious.  
  
Terrence sets his cell phone on the tray beside him and pours the casting material into it followed by the bandages saying: Well she's here and I'm taking care of her busted arm. Who's the moron that said it was just a bad sprain?  
  
Marshall: That dimwit's name is Morgan and he's gonna get an earful from me when I get my hands on him! He was instructed that if anyone came in with any injuries, he was to come get me and I'd tend to it not tend to it himself. Considering you're taking care of her, I'll go track down Morgan and rip him a new one! (Hangs up to go track down the careless Intern)  
  
Terrence turns his phone off then picks up the needle with the freezing agent in it pokes it into Sierra's arm injecting the freezing into the area while saying) I'll let that start and take effect. As soon as the freezing takes hold and I've re-broke your arm then casted it, I've gotta go do what I came here to do! I've got little ones back home! (Tips his wrist to check the time and says) Yipes! I've got two hours to restock my home medicine store room, get the little kids their lunch and get 'em ready for Magic Kindergarten!  
  
Sierra starts feeling as the freezing took hold then says: They don't need any special clothes, just shove 'em through the doorway when it opens and it'll close behind them or if Crystal has enough strength to get up out of bed, she'll ensure they get to their first afternoon of Magic Kindergarten. (Feels a slight pain as Terrence re-broke her arm then says) It's a good thing my arm is numb right now or I'd be in serious pain and I have a high tolerance for pain.  
  
Trigger: What the hell have you been through that gives you a high threshold for pain?  
  
Terrence slips on a pair of gloves, reaches into the bucket with the casting materials in it to pull out a long roll saying: At age fourteen she had a major surgery to have her gall sack removed, she was given a script for Tylenol-3 to take when the pain got the better of her. She took only one I believe and never once complained of any pain. Three months later she had her appendix taken out then just before her fifth birthday she had her tonsils taken out. (Pulls out the last roll of wet goopy gauze and wraps it around Starlight's arm then adds the colored layer until everything was gone from the pail and dried on Sierra's arm then stands up pulling off his latex gloves saying) Kiddo, you're benched for eight weeks! No hockey, no figure skating and no waiting on tables until that cast comes off in eight weeks, and absolutely NO GYM CLASS OR TRAINING! I'll sign the waiver for you to sit out until that cast comes off in eight weeks! Before you leave I'll give you a cortisone and pain shot to take the edge off the onslaught of pain. Trig would you get me the clip board with the waivers and excuse notes on it and the cortisone and pain killer needles?  
  
Trigger: I'll go get the clipboard with the waiver on it for you to sign off on. (Heads up to the exam area and grabs the clipboard, pen and several medical waivers she clipped to the clipboard then comes back, hands it to Terrence then heads off to get the cortisone pain killer needle from the needle cupboard and brings it back and hands it to Terrence along with a cottons ball soaked in rubbing alcohol saying) Here ya go.  
  
Terrence takes the needle and cotton ball, lifts Sierra's shirt sleeve then rubs her arm with the cotton ball, removes the safety cap and sets it down on the table behind him, then pricks her arm with the needle pushing down on the plunger until the needle was empty, then removes the needle and puts a bandage over the injection site, recaps the needle that he gave to Trigger to dispose of then swiftly ticked off every box on the waiver then signed and dated it saying: Here, take this and scoot! But before you do leave, it's about time I gave you a full on check up to see how your infection's coming along! Off with the t-shirt vest (Helps Sierra remove her t-shirt vest then opens a drawer pulling out his stethoscope and blood pressure cuff and says) Lets start with a good long look in those ears of yours! (Plucks his endoscope from its resting place and fits a nozzle on it then inserts it into Sierra's nose and says) Your nose is still stuffed up, just keep using that decongestant spray in combination with the new allergy pills and your nose will clear up. (Removes the endoscope from Sierra's nose, removes the tip, comes around directly in front of her saying) Open wide so I can see clearly down your throat! (Watches as Sierra opened wide, plucks a pair of sterile latex gloves and pulls them on his hands then picks up a tongue depressor he used to press down Sierra's tongue and shone the endoscope light down her throat saying) Still raw and infected. Keep your mouth open a bit longer, I'm gonna swab that throat of yours! (Grabs an unopened swab packet that he opens and removes the swab then unscrews the swab from the container and says) Bear with me here, it'll just take me a second to get what I need. (Sticks the swab down Sierra's throat and swirls it around then brings it back out and puts it in the tube saying) See, all done and the gag reflex didn't have time to kick in. (Plucks two cotton balls out of the jar and gently gets it wet then pulls out several different colored vials, a needle and the hollow vial holder and a tourniquet saying) I'm gonna draw blood from you this time around and see how your A1C's are behaving and if the medication is doing anything to help you fight the infection. (picks up the tourniquet, wraps it around Sierra's upper left arm pulling it tight and finds her vein then wipes it down, pierces the skin and vein with the needle and pops in vial after vial that he filled with her blood then removes the tourniquet from her arm, removes the needle that he handed to Trigger who disposed of it, pressed a dry cotton ball against the wound and secures it with a piece of paper tape saying) Take it easy on that arm for the next fifteen to twenty minutes! Go home and go to bed! I'll deal with Donovan when he comes looking for you. For now I've gotta go and restock my home medicine closet, it's nearly empty. (Spots Menda who didn't look to happy to see Sierra and says) Menda  
  
Menda: Terrence, Sierra, I thought you were home sleeping!  
  
Terrence heaves a sigh saying: Nope  
  
Menda: So I see he woke you up out of a peaceful sleep after I told him to leave you alone.  
  
Terrence: He's been warned time and again since she became sick to just let her rest and let the medication work and get rid of the infection. How many times does this make that he's dragged her out of bed?  
  
Menda pulls out a small note book and says: Fifteen times since she became sick someone's told him Sierra's still sick and extremely catchy. He's got an extremely thick head and doesn't like to listen to anyone but himself.  
  
Terrence heaves a heavy sigh and says: Then I'm at a loss as to whom else can get through his thick skull.  
  
Menda: I don't know either.  
  
Terrence: Sierra?  
  
Sierra: What?  
  
Terrence: Who do you know that can  
  
Sierra: Freefall and Nightsky are the only ones that can drill it into his head that I'm sick. Get them to talk to their husbands about Donovan. Neither husband really cares for Donovan never have never will  
  
Menda smacks her head and says: I should've thought to tell Nightsky and Freefall about this! Their husbands won’t be happy that Donovan’s making a sick person go to school, training and work.  
  
Terrence: No because Sierra's like a daughter to them and it was Freefall who brought her in when she first became sick.  
  
Menda: What would Freefall be doing at this hour of the day with an empty house? What about Nightsky?  
  
Sierra: Cleaning it, what else would she be doing at quarter after eleven in the morning with an empty house and all kids gone to school? Nightsky's home with a baby so right about now she'd be getting lunch ready for the kids who go to kindergarten and go home for lunch then go back for the afternoon portion. (Picks up her t-shirt vest and tries to pull it on with one hand)  
  
Terrence takes her shirt from her hand and simply says: Put your arms through the arm holes (Watches as Sierra put her arm through the arm holes then pulls it down over her head allowing the remaining fabric to fall down and says) Leave your bag here and I'll bring it by your place later on if it's heavy.  
  
Sierra pulls her shirt down over her head and says: It has wheels to pull it when it gets too heavy and my art supplies aren't light as feathers.  
  
Terrence goes over to the study area, zips up the carry on, sets it on the floor, presses the release button on the handle, tips the bag back onto the wheels and drags it along behind him towards Sierra saying: Here we go, here's your bag. Now straight home, into bed and straight to sleep! That pain killer will be wearing off in an hour and the best place for you to be is in bed sleeping when it starts to wear off. (Helps Sierra down off the bed and says) Why not go to my place and bunk in with Sakura? Donovan won't dare bang on my door, not with Crystal home sick in bed. Just go on ahead to my place and wait for me outside. I'll be there as soon as I finish gathering supplies to restock my home medicine store room. It's been awhile and I'm almost out of everything in the main store room. (Notices Marshall had come in and says) You can take Sierra home now and put her to bed.  
  
Marshall takes the pull along from Sierra's hand saying: Come sweetie, your mother's home and flipping out that you're not in bed sleeping. She's been threatening to send you back in time and let Mahad deal with you.  
  
Sierra heaves a yawn and says: Great, when do I leave? At least I won't have to put up with Donovan insisting that I look healthy enough to go to classes that finished final exams weeks ago. I'm sure you'll be able to explain why I have a cast on my arm that wasn't there before  
  
Marshall heaves a sigh and says: Won't be the first time he's seen you with a serious injury. Let's get you home so you can rest awhile, Mahad's busy at court. I'll get in touch with him later and let him know your on your way.  
  
Sierra: Why bother waiting? Donovan will only come around again with a red flag notice. I'll just pop through the mirror that's in my bedroom and come out in my bedroom in the palace. If you want to tell anyone I'm returning home, tell Shimon. He's always buzzing around my bedroom leafing through my sketch books.  
  
Marshall: I forgot Shimon likes your drawings. I’ll let him know you're returning home to rest. After we get home.

  
Meanwhile

  
Terrence heads off towards the area where the medicine store room was located and swiped his security clearance card to allow himself in and goes about grabbing a box and filling it up)

  
Twenty Minutes later

  
Terrence finally finishes stocking up on his much needed supplies for home, exits the storage closet and re-swipes his security clearance card to reset the security alarm, heads up to the exam area to grab his laptop that he unplugged and gently placed in the box that he had sat down and heads off back to his place nearly smacking into Mac who'd been looking high and low for Starlight as he says: Sorry there Mac, didn't see you. You lost?  
  
Mac: Huh? No but I've about had it with this uncalled for game of hide and go seek  
  
Terrence: With whom are you supposed to be playing with?  
  
Mac put his right hand on his hip and rubs his left hand across his forehead saying: That damned little weasel Donovan. Thanks to him, I've lost both my day and night staff. I'm also trying to find Sierra to take her home.  
  
Terrence heaves a sigh and says: Marshall has already taken her home. I had to freeze and numb her arm then rebreak it so I could realign the bones so it would set properly In my left pocket you'll find a waiver that I was going to deliver to you after I'd restocked my home medicine closet. But since we've seemed to have slammed into each other you can get it for yourself.

Mac reaches into Terrence's left lab coat pocket and pulled out the folded waiver and unfolds it to read it saying: Great, now I have to try and find three sets of wait staff to fill in for the ones Donovan reported  
  
Terrence: You lost your ENTIRE Wait Staff? What was the basis of Donovan's Report?  
  
Mac heaves a frustrated sigh saying: Too many working hours, not enough Safety Procedures, Not enough time for studies along with a whole bunch of bull crap. He had the audacity to claim the entire Wait Staff was too young to be working and dialed down their ages by three years. (Looks up from the waiver and sees a furious Stoker coming his way and says) You didn't find Donovan either?  
  
Stoker snarls: NO! I've about had it with that weasel interfering with things that don't concern him! He's reported the entire Senior Year Class for failure to be in attendance of classes. They don't have any classes, their Graduation Ceremony already happened, their exams are over and done with and they have their grades. Yet Donovan felt it necessary to report the entire Senior Year Class and have them hauled before the Board of directors who sat there listening to Donovan read his report then popped his balloon saying there was nothing to be done with the group, they're done with their schooling.  
  
Terrence: Well I certainly don't feel one bit sorry for Donovan. He was told that the twelve kids that he reported were in the accelerated program which is considerably faster than the normal track. We don't teach filler crap nor do we waste time with unnecessary papers, tests, projects or presentations on subjects that have nothing to do with the subject being taught, We start on time, teach the entire periods content and never ever assign homework. I call it untaught work that the teachers ought to teach during class time.  
  
Mac hands Stoker the waiver saying: Busted right arm from below the elbow to her wrist. Broken in six different spots. Some sort of infection that's catchy.  
  
Stoker takes the waiver and reads it for himself then says: EIGHT WEEKS?! Terrific! Now I know what Joey and Max have, whatever is going around that Sierra's caught.  
  
Terrence: If they've been in contact with Sierra in the last little while, then they've caught whatever Sierra's battling. If you're still looking for Donovan, try a dark hall, you might find him cowering in a corner. (Heads off to the elevator that opened as he stepped in pushing the close door button followed by fourth floor button with his tail and was whisked off to the fourth floor living quarters where he got off and headed to his place and had the door opened by Crystal saying) Hey how're you feeling hon?  
  
Crystal: Horrid but I had to get up and get the kids through the door for Magic Kindergarten.  
  
Terrence shifts the box in his arms and says: Good. One wild guess of one name that come to mind. Would you open the medical room for me dear? I've got my arms full.  
  
Crystal goes into the kitchen and plucks the key to the medical closet off the peg board, goes over to the door and slips the key into the lock in the door knob then unlocks and opens it for Terrence saying: If I had the energy I'd kill him, she's not near healthy enough for anything! That's why I wanted her here and not in California or Chicago! I wonder what would happen if I called Freefall and Nightsky and told them what Donnovan has done to their goddaughter?  
  
Terrence sets the large awkward heavy box down on the table saying: Your brother took care of Sierra. He came and took her home. It wasn't either of them. It was Donnovan who made her go to school even though she's already graduated. Sierra came to the Med Ward earlier with a broken wrist and was told it was a slight sprain and had her wrist wrapped in an elastic bandage. I had to rebreak it, set it and cast it then give her a cortisone shot to ward off infection of the break site and a pain shot to take the edge off the pain of the rebroken arm. Six different break zones from below her elbow to her wrist. Two morons out hunting for Donnovan. Hmm what would Freefall and Nightsky do to Donnovan if they found out? Lets find out shall we? (Pulls out his cell phone, opens his contact folder, scrolls down to Freefall, taps her name then the phone icon, then the speaker icon listening to the phone ring until he heard Freefall come on the line)  
  
Freefall grabs her cell phone off the table, swipes the button to the left then tape the speaker icon saying: Hello?  
  
Crystal turns her head and lifts her arm to cough then says: Hey Freefall is Nightsky there?  
  
Freefall: Oh hi Crystal, you sound horrid. Yeah she is why? What's up?  
  
Crystal: Just to let you in on a joke, Donovan has reported your kids for failure to attend class.  
  
Freefall and Nightsky in unison: Oh really That's a good one! My three have graduated already  
  
Nightsky: My three are all married with kids. Good Luck telling them to go to school  
  
Freefall: I don't feel one bit sorry for Donovan.  
  
Crystal: Right now he's mad because the Senior Year Class won't be reprimanded and Mac's entire Wait Staff has returned to work.  
  
Freefall: I reiterate what we just said: I don't feel one bit sorry for Donovan.  
  
Nightsky: One day he's going to report a recruit that is an adult but looks younger and He's going to get the snot kicked out of him.  
  
Freefall: Oh well, if it hasn't happened already, it's in the works  
  
Nightsky : Where is Sierra anyway?  
  
Crystal: Home, Marshall picked her up at the Med Ward and took her home to rest.  
  
Nightsky: We'll let you go and get some rest and let you know what happens to Donovan. (Hangs up with Crystal)  
  
Crystal hangs up as she begins to feel her strength waining and says: I'd best get back to bed before I fall down. I only got up to ensure the little ones got safely through the door to Magic Kindergarten. The three kids were still sound asleep when I got up to usher the little kids through for Kindergarten.  
  
Terrence pulls Crystal close and helps her to her favorite oversized chair so she could sit and says: That can wait, you're getting low on energy and climbing the stairs alone isn't smart. I'll help you back to bed and check on the kids that are home sick. (Takes his laptop out and plugs it in the wall socket then opens the lid and presses a few keys to wake it and enters the encrypted password to access his files and says) Hmm looks like Marshall's found a cocktail that might help Siernna get better. (Double clicks on Sakura's name and says) I knew she had allergies to something  
  
Crystal pulls up a chair and sits down saying: Yeah Pennicillin and Tylenol. The same with Tyson,Bryce and Rei-Anne. Are they home too?  
  
Terrence barely looks up and says: Yep, I brought both Tyson and Sakura home this morning and put 'em both to bed. Siernna's had a temp for the last three days or so I've been told and yet she was the one out in the cold winter earth night air with a temp of a hundred and three.  
  
Crystal looks up and says: A temp of a hundred and three and she was out in the cold winter earth night air?! Has everyone taken leave of their senses lately?! Just before coming down to usher the little ones through for Magic Kindergarten, I checked on her to ensure she was alright and what ever you gave her has brought her temp down a few degrees.  
  
Terrence: Buckley's Jack and Jill for Congestion, a fever reducer and a couple of antibiotical pills. Her throat is infected and she had a hard time swallowing. You didn't by chance give her straight milk did you?  
  
Crystal: No no. I seen the medic alert bracelet on her arm. Lactose Intolerance and Peanut Allergy same as Tyson,Bryce,Rei-Anne and Sakura. I made her some hot cereal with lactose free milk,some berries, hot herbal honey tea and a big glass of water. She ate and went back to sleep, Tyson and Sakura are still asleep.  
  
Terrence: Good at least she ate something, problem is though I don't have medical files on Siernna to tell me what medicinal allergies she has.  
  
Crystal: How is it possible we don't have any files on her?  
  
Terrence sits in his favorite chair and heaves a sigh saying: She's our future granddaughter and hasn't even been born yet that's how.  
  
Crystal: Future granddaughter? From which of our kids?  
  
 **Terrence:** Rei-Anne and Byron  
  
 **Crystal:** Rei-Anne and Byron?!  
  
 **Terrence:** Yep, she came back in time because her house is an utter and complete zoo. They're renovating and there's a ton of dust in the air and with her bronchitis, if dust gets in her lungs she won't be able to breathe. If she stays here any longer, Grand Time Travelling Council will be breathing down my neck pretty soon demanding to know why Sierra hasn't gone back home. What am I supposed to tell them?  
  
 **Crystal:** Tell the old battle axes she's sick in bed with an infection and to screw off. (Hears the door bell and says) You expecting someone dear?  
  
 **Terrence looks at Crystal and says:** No not here. Stay here and keep the door closed and locked once I'm out **. (Stands up and heads out of the Medical Supply Closet shutting and locking the door behind him and heads to his door that he opens to find Marshall on the other side and says)** Marshall what brings you by? **(Opens his door further to allow Marshall to** **step in and says)** I take it you've figured out a medical cocktail for Sierra's infection?  
  
 **Marshall nods saying:** It's right in her file from two years ago. I just tweaked it a bit by weeding out the pills that weren't working and replacing them with the newer more powerful antibiotic we just got in. **(Hands Terrence his copy of Sierra's past medical file and says)** There were four different pills all working against each other instead of helping each other, I took them out and replaced them with a purple pill twice a day. I'm hoping that eradicates this stubborn infection she's battling.  
  
 **Terrence reads over Sierra's medical chart and says:** Those pills should never even have been prescribed for her, they're not meant for her kind of infections. **(Remembers Crystal was still in the supply closet and says)** Oh crap  
  
 **Marshall glances around and says:** Where's Crys?  
  
 **Terrence heads back to the supply closet and knocks on the door saying:** Crystal you can unlock the door hon

  
**In the store room**

  
**Crystal stands up, cautiously walks over to the door, unlocks it and opens it saying:** Doors unlocked  
  
 **Terrence opens the door and shows her the new antibiotic list and says:** Would you get me this one please and the pink one as well.  
  
 **Crystal slowly heads towards the back of their supply room and stops in front of another locked door that she grabbed the key for off the hook beside the door and unlocked then opened it and went inside grabbing a blister pack with the list of antibiotics and comes out, shuts and locks the door behind her and places the key back on the hook and takes the blister pack to** **Terrence saying:** here you go hon. Hi Marshall.  
  
 **Marshall looks up from his notes and says:** Whoa, you look like hell warmed over. You sure you ought to be out of bed?  
  
 **Crystal:** I was just on my way back to bed. Only got up to send the little kids to Magic Kindergarten .  
  
 **Terrence takes the blister pack from Crystal and hands it to Marshall saying:** Here’s enough for two weeks. After that, I'll draw more blood to check and see if her infection is going.  
  
 **Marshall** : That might be a problem. Sierra's not in this time. She's gone back five thousand years to be with Mahad where it's cool and quiet.  
  
 **Terrence:** She left to get away from Donovan huh? I don't blame her. She needs to sleep and let her medication work properly.  
  
 **Marshall:** That’s already dealt with him when he came to the door demanding to know why Bridgette and Noelle hadn't gone to school. He got told that it was far too late for either girl to go to classes. Then he started demanding to know where Axel was and why he wasn't in school.  
  
 **Terrence heaves a sigh and says:** Axel went back to your true home because he was homesick badly to the point he wouldn't eat, sleep, get out of bed nor would he shower **.**  
  
 **Marshall:** The food in this time is too processed for Axel's stomach to digest and he missed being outside all day, he can't stomach being cooped up inside all day. Axel only eats food he can recognize  
  
 **Terrence:** sensitive stomach?  
  
 **Marshall:** No, Axel has an acidic stomach. Acid reducers don't work on his stomach acid.  
  
 **Crystal:** Too much stomach acid is inherited or develop from either you or Cassidy or from Axel eating way too much rich food with no balance of vegetables in the form of a salad to keep the digestive acids under control, it's also developed from too much red wine and not enough water and milk.  
  
 **Marshall:** Cassidy doesn't have a family history of acidic stomach, I blame you know who on my side for using the same meal time rules they used on me. No leaving the table until everything is gone.

 **Crystal:** That doesn't help with someone who has an acidic stomach

 **Marshall:** Now you know why I don't force any of my kids to eat what they don't want

 **Crystal:** We don't do it either. We encourage them to at least _try_ one bite of unfamiliar food before passing judgement.

 **Marshall pulls out a note from his pocket and hands it to Terrence saying:** Read this when Crystal's gone to bed.

 **Terrence takes the folded note from Marshall's hand and tucks it into his pocket saying:** I'll read it after I've helped Crystal back up to bed and after ripped Mac and Stoker a new one for insisting Sierra go to school, training and work when she's still sick.

 **Marshall:** So THAT'S who said she could be up out of bed! So it's alright for Stoker to make Sierra get up out of bed go to school, training and go to work but don't you dare insist any of Stoker's kids get up go to school, go for training and go to work when they're sick like this or all hell will break loose.

 **Terrence:** Right as soon as I help Crystal back up to bed and head back to the Med ward, he's gonna get ripped a new one and learn about what he's doing to Sierra's body that's trying to fight this infection with three hours of sleep when she's taking heavy antibiotics that make her sleepy.

 **Marshall:** Well I'd best go and deliver Sierra's medication to her so she can get started on taking it. **(Opens the door and heads out shutting it behind him)**

 **Terrence:** Crys, you ready to head up to bed again?

 **Crystal slowly stands up and heads out of the store room, shuts the door behind her, locks it and hangs the key back up saying:** Yeah I'm ready to head back to bed.

 **Terrence walks at a reasonable pace so Crystal could keep up saying as they headed upstairs** : Right into bed for you! Then I've gotta get back to the med ward and do some massive inventorying to see what needs yo be replenished from the stock room


End file.
